The Moto G is available to buy from £149 unlocked. We compare the UK’s cheapest deals for the Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus, Moto G6 Play and Moto G5S.

If you’re looking for an affordable mid-range smartphone, my current recommendation is to buy a handset from the Moto G family. With a solid design and fantastic specifications, the Moto G handsets are powerful, yet budget-friendly. Priced at just a fraction of the cost of an iPhone XS or Galaxy S9, you can buy a Moto G handset from as little as £149 unlocked.

There are three handsets to choose from in the latest generation of the Moto G family. They are the Moto G6, the Moto G6 Plus and the Moto G6 Play. The handsets have impressive edge-to-edge screens, TurboPower charging and 64-bit octa-core processors. On the top-range handset, the Moto G6 Plus, you’ll also get an intelligent camera with Dual Autofocus Pixel and lots of other clever features.

For a cheaper alternative to the Moto G6, it’s also still possible to buy last year’s Moto G5S. You’ll get a slightly smaller screen, but this will come in a more compact aluminium form factor.

In this article, we’ll look at the best value deals for buying a Moto G smartphone in the UK. We’ll start by looking at the best deals for an unlocked Moto G handset. We’ll then continue on to compare the best value deals on Pay As You Go and on a Pay Monthly contract.

SIM Free & Unlocked

The simplest way to buy a new Moto G is to get it SIM-free from an electronics retailer. As you’re buying a handset that’s already unlocked, you’ll be able to use it on the mobile network of your choice. You can order a free Pay As You Go SIM card to use with the handset or you can take advantage of a low-cost SIM-only deal. Alternatively, you can also stay on your current tariff (just put your existing SIM card into the new Moto G).

Which Moto G?

There are three handsets to choose from in the latest sixth-generation of the Moto G family. Alongside this, some retailers also continue to stock the older fifth-generation Moto G5S:

Model

Display

Camera

Processor

Storage

Battery

Body

Moto G6

5.7″ full HD+

12MP & 5MP dual-camera

1.8GHz octa-core

32GB

3,000mAh

3D Glass

Moto G6 Plus

5.9″ full HD+

12MP & 5MP dual-camera

2.2GHz octa-core

64GB

3,200mAh

3D Glass

Moto G6 Play

5.7″ HD+

13 megapixels

1.4GHz octa-core

32GB

4,000mAh

Polymer Glass

Moto G5S

5.2″ full HD

16 megapixels

1.4GHz octa-core

32GB

3,000mAh

Aluminium

For most people, we’d recommend buying one of the sixth-generation handsets (typically, either the Moto G6 or Moto G6 Plus). The improvements in performance and design are significant, especially with the edge-to-edge screen and the dual rear-facing cameras. Generally, the Moto G6 is the more popular choice unless you need the larger screen and extra storage of the Moto G6 Plus.

If you’d like the Moto G6 Plus with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, this is available for £269 at the Carphone Warehouse. You’ll get a faster processor and more storage, along with a larger 5.9-inch screen.

For something in between the two devices, Amazon has an exclusive version of the Moto G6 with 64GB of storage. Costing £219, it’s priced somewhere in between the Moto G6 and the Moto G6 Plus. It gives you the larger amount of storage normally found on the Moto G6 Plus, but doesn’t contain any of the other upgraded specifications.

For a lower cost alternative to both devices, you can also buy the cheaper Moto G6 Play. This is available for £149 SIM-free and unlocked at various retailers including John Lewis & Partners and the Carphone Warehouse.

The Moto G is also available from a range of other retailers like Currys, Argos and Very:

[ds] John Lewis sells an exclusive version of the Moto G6, with 32GB of storage and dual-SIM functionality. This gives you a lot more flexibility (e.g. using two SIM-cards when travelling abroad). Other retailers sell the single-SIM version of the Moto G6 with 32GB of storage.
† Amazon also offers a version of the Moto G6 with 64GB of storage and dual-SIM functionality. This is available for £219 SIM-free and unlocked.

Pay As You Go

If you’d like the Moto G6 Play, you can save around £10 on the handset by buying it on Pay As You Go. However, you’ll need to make a minimum initial top-up of £10 or more so this is only really worthwhile if you actually use the SIM card.

At present, giffgaff is our recommended network for buying the Moto G6 Play on Pay As You Go. You can get the Moto G6 Play for £169 (this is £10 less than if you were to buy it on a SIM-free basis). The handset will come with a giffgaff SIM card where a £10 monthly top-up will give you 3GB of internet, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. The handset will also be provided to you unlocked.

You can also buy the Moto G6 Play on Pay As You Go from O2 and Tesco Mobile. O2 will allow you to unlock your handset for free at any time whereas Tesco Mobile will charge a fee of £10 if you unlock within the first 12 months of ownership.

The Moto G6 is also available to buy from giffgaff, but this is more expensive than buying the handset on a SIM-free basis. The Moto G6 Plus is not currently available on any Pay As You Go network. However, you can use any model of the Moto G on any Pay As You Go network by buying the handset SIM-free and then ordering a free Pay As You Go SIM card.

Pay Monthly

If you’re looking to get a Moto G handset on a 24-month contract, you can currently choose from getting the Moto G6 on contract from giffgaff or Vodafone, or getting the Moto G6 Play on contract from Tesco Mobile. If you’d like to use any other mobile network, you’ll instead need to buy the handset SIM-free and then choose a SIM-only deal.

Meanwhile, Vodafone offers the Moto G6 on a range of 24-month contracts. You can choose from three types of price plan: Essentials (the cheapest & most basic tariff), Red Extra (with more data and unlimited minutes) or Red Entertainment (with the largest data allowances, and a 24-month subscription to Spotify, Sky Sports Mobile TV or Now TV).

The following table shows Moto G6 contracts currently available in the UK:

Network

Minutes

Texts

Internet

Upfront

Monthly

Total Cost

No tariffs could be found matching this criteria.

Moto G6 Play

The Moto G6 Play is available on a 24-month contract from Tesco Mobile. The following table shows Moto G6 Play contracts currently available in the UK:

Which Moto G?

Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play

The Moto G6 Play, Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus.

This year, Motorola is offering a choice of three handsets as part of the Moto G6 line-up. Generally speaking, the Moto G6 will be the best handset for most users, offering a great combination of value and performance.

For better photography, more storage and a larger 5.9-inch screen, the Moto G6 Plus is a good upgrade costing around £70 more. You’ll get a Snapdragon 630 processor (2.2GHz octa-core) on the Moto G6 Plus as opposed to the Snapdragon 450 processor (1.8GHz octa-core) found on the regular Moto G6. You’ll also get more storage and RAM as standard.

The Moto G6 Play is a lower-cost alternative to both handsets, focussing on maximum battery life, at the cost of a lower-resolution screen and a more basic camera. There are also a number of other cut-down features such as having micro-USB charging (as opposed to USB-C), a single rear-facing camera, a polymer-based design and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the three handsets:

Moto G6 vs Moto G5

The Moto G5 was released in 2017, and is a lower-cost alternative to the Moto G6.

The Moto G6 was released in May 2017, and is Motorola’s newest mid-range smartphone. The predecessors to the Moto G6 were the Moto G5 (released in March 2017) and the Moto G5S (released in September 2017).

The main differences between the Moto G6 and Moto G5 include:

The Moto G6 has a taller edge-to-edge display. The Full HD+ screen on the Moto G6 has a 18:9 aspect ratio, meaning you’re able to see more things without the phone becoming wider and more difficult to hold.

The Moto G6 has an improved camera. On the back of the handset, you’ll get dual cameras (one at 12 megapixels and the other at 5 megapixels). This compares to the Moto G5 which had a single 13 megapixel camera.

The Moto G6 has a more premium glass-based design. Whereas the Moto G5 was constructed from an aluminium unibody, the Moto G6 has a new glass-based design with a 3D-contoured back.

The Moto G6 has a faster processor and more storage. You’ll get a Snapdragon 450 processor on the Moto G6 and a Snapdragon 630 processor on the Moto G6 Plus. This is more powerful than the processors found on last year’s Moto G5 and Moto G5S. You’ll also get 32GB of storage as standard on the Moto G6 and 64GB on the Moto G6 Plus.

The Moto G6 has faster charging. You’ll get USB-C charging on the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus, with Motorola’s TurboPower technology. Last year’s Moto G5 used micro-USB charging technology.

The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of some of the key differences between the Moto G6, the Moto G5 and Moto G5S:

About the Moto G

The Moto G is Motorola’s family of mid-range Android smartphones.

The Moto G handsets are notable for having quality specifications at only a fraction of the price of rival flagship smartphones. For instance, the Moto G6 has dual-camera technology, fingerprint unlocking, USB-C fast charging and a Full HD+ screen. Many of these specifications can match the iPhone 8 Plus, a handset that will typically cost you more than three times as much.

Other highlights of the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus include the 64-bit Snapdragon octa-core processor and Android 8.0 Oreo.

The following table compares the Moto G6 to the Apple iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy S9:

Christopher Pughsaid:

Hi Christopher,
Yes, using the dual-SIM option will consume a little bit more battery. This is because your handset needs to connect to both mobile networks and to remain on “standby” on both networks. Saying that, I think the increase is usually fairly negligible. Often, only around 2-3% of your phone’s power consumption is caused by this (though it could be significantly higher if you’re in an area with poor coverage). The majority of power consumption actually comes from other things such as transmitting data, having the screen on, etc.
Personally, I don’t notice very much of a difference when using the dual-SIM option (and certainly, nowhere near enough of a difference for me to recommend against using it).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comment – this is a very good question! Often, you’ll actually get some pretty comparable specifications comparing a flagship handset from 2 years ago, to a newer mid-range handset available today.
One of the things that often gets a phone to it’s end-of-life is when the battery becomes much poorer – this is something to bear in mind (especially if you’re buying a second-hand version of the handset). If you’re buying a brand new & unused version of that older handset, this is less of a worry as the battery should still close to full capacity.
With the older handset, you may also find you’re using a much older version of the Android software. This means you could be missing some of the latest features & apps (and importantly, maybe also the latest security updates depending on how good the manufacturer is at applying updates to their device). This might be balanced somewhat by some of the higher specifications you get on the higher-end device (e.g. in terms of material, display, etc) so it’s really something you’ll need to weigh up for yourself with regards to the things you’re looking for.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Paul1098replied:

Thanks Ken,
Must admit that the battery life was my main concern for the 2nd hand phone now that they all seem to be non-removable & is one of the reasons I started looking at Moto G mid range.
I hadn’t thought of the security issues associated with using earlier android versions.
How do the different processors compare? Is it down to speed & quad/octa core or are the higher end processors running a much better architecture than the snapdragon?
Cheers
Paul

Hi Paul,
Unfortunately, the question about different processors is probably going a little bit beyond my realm of knowledge! With Snapdragon, obviously the 8xx processors are better than 6xx, the 6xx processors are better than 4xx, etc. How the different generations in each line compare with each other, I can’t really say (though Anandtech has lots of great info on this topic, albeit very technical).
Ken

Doxysaid:

Hi Ken.
A question not a comment. I’ve had a Moto E since 2014 but the sound has gone and I’ve cracked the screen. I’m looking to up grade to a 64gb phone (probably another Moto) because I’m sick of notifications telling me it can’t update my apps due to lack of storage. I’ve disabled and uninstalled everything I can. I have only 4 apps I have downloaded myself. I bought a 32kb memory card thinking I could move some apps to it but only 2 would move. I don’t have lots of photos or any music so most of the card is empty . So my question is which phone should I get ? i don’t want to spend more than £300.

Hi Doxy,
Thanks for your comment. I’m afraid this will simply come down to personal preference! Obviously, the Moto G6 Plus is the best handset in this family at the moment, costing about £269. However, if you don’t need the additional features of the G6 Plus, the Moto G6 is a very good handset in my opinion costing around £220.
Ken

Doxyreplied:

Pete C.said:

Currently have Motorola G4 (1st Gen) with Android 5.1 Attempted to download BMW Connect App. but found OS update required. Unable to update though – processor presumably could not cope with later OS.
New phone required? Not interested in techie stuff just want calls/texts and internet search facilities (couldn’t care less about camera/fingerprint sign-in etc)5S considered with Android 7.0 but would G6 with Android 8.0 be more future-proof and worth the extra in my case?

joan seymoursaid:

Hi there …. This is a plea for help from a ‘ non-tech ‘ mobile phone user ! .. At present I have a VERY basic mobile phone – no camera or internet connection – it’s just a phone, & I can use it for texting ! …I am connected to Giff Gaff, & have a monthly bundle costing £ 5 per month…I would like to move on to a smartphone … possibly a Moto G5 ….where I could use it as a phone; for texting; to be able to use Whatsapp; occasionally a camera, & of course to e.mail….My tablet is bulky to carry around,& of course is not a phone !! ….I am looking for something which is not too complicated to use – & more importantly – to set up ! ..My question is :- Could I put my existing sim card ( with giff gaff ) into a new Moto G5, & start using it once I had managed to set it up ? … Everyone keeps telling me it’s time I had a decent phone & kept up with the 21st Century !! lol …Any help or advice you could offer would be much appreciated…Joan

Hi Joan,
Many thanks for your comment. Absolutely: the Moto G5 is a fantastic device, and you can just put your existing SIM card inside it (though depending on your currently handset, it may be necessary for you to change the size of your SIM card). After you’ve placed the SIM card in your Moto G5, you’ll have the same phone number as before and you’ll be able to use your data allowance from giffgaff.
Ken

Chris Ryansaid:

I went to buy a G5 from Carphone Warehouse but was recommended to upgrade to a Motorola X4 for an extra £80. I am not a big tech user and my main use is Whatsapp, phone, email and searching for minutae on the net. Is the X4 worth the extra?

Hi Chris,
Many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, it’s really hard for me to say – this will really be a value judgement on your part. I think the Moto X4 is definitely a nicer phone. It won’t help you to WhatsApp, phone & email better, but it will give you better performance (especially if you’re doing multiple things at the same time). You’ll also get a better camera which is useful if you sometimes use your phone for taking photos.
Ken

Hi Chris,
Yes – I think I’d personally go for the Moto G5 as well, especially given the price difference and how you normally use your handset 🙂 It’s also far more popular as a handset, though it’s difficult for me to really give a recommendation without knowing exactly how much difference different features make to different people.
Hope this helps (slightly!),
Ken

Elysaid:

Hi Ely,
Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with eGlobal myself, but I have asked the commenter below whether they have any update on their experience. Would also love to hear from anyone else who may have used them in the past!
Regarding the Moto G5 Plus, I think this is really a matter of personal preference. Personally, I’d definitely upgrade because of the improved camera, larger screen size & more powerful processor. However, it will really depend on how much value you’ll get from extra features 🙂
Ken

Elyreplied:

Thank you Ken for your support. Final question, I am currently getting similar prices for the Moto G5 plus and Samsung J5 2017. Appears Moto is better in terms of general usage and features, but Samsung has the edge on build quality. Any thoughts or have I got that about right. Once again thanks for your guidance.
Ilesh

Hi Ely,
I would personally go for the Moto G5 Plus over the Samsung Galaxy J5 2017. The screen is much higher resolution (full-HD vs standard-HD) and you’ll also tend to get better performance. In terms of build quality, I can’t comment on the differences between the two, but personally I think the Moto G5 has decent build, so the differences in performance & screen quality would probably lead me to choose the G5 Plus.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Hi Ely,
Thanks for your comment! Unfortunately, I haven’t come across a company called Global before, so unfortunately I can’t comment on this. Personally, I’d probably go for the peace of mind of getting it from a better-known retailer like Amazon or John Lewis!
Ken

Davidsaid:

Hi David,
Hope you’re doing well? I was wondering whether you had any feedback on your experiences with eGlobal? There’s another commenter here on the website asking about them, and I’d really love to hear your thoughts on them & your experiences with your order.
Thanks very much!
Ken

Tizsaid:

I have spotted moto g5s at Argos in Black for £199.I can’t find it in black on any other web site.Do you think that this is a store descsription error?I would really appreciate an answer as I would love moto g5s in black but will go for silver option if not.thanks

Hi Tiz,
Thank you for letting me know about this. It does appear that Argos is offering the Moto G5S in black: this is something that I’ve not seen anywhere else. One slightly odd thing is the screenshot is in Chinese when you zoom in to the picture, and also some of the images on that page appear to show the phone in the normal colour. Anyway, might be worth a shot to see what the handset looks like if you want!
Ken

Martynsaid:

Hello Ken
I’ve just today received my new G5s Plus as a direct (and unfortunately necessary) replacement for my G5 Plus that I lost 10 days ago. With the G5 Plus, I made use of both the dual sim capability and the expanded memory via MicroSD card.

I was both surprised and rather disappointed to find that the G5s Plus does not support the same configuration i.e. dual SIM plus a MicroSD card. 🙁 I have checked this with Motorola and they confirm it is the case.

The supported combinations are a) a single SIM, b) two SIMs or c) a single SIM plus a MicroSD.

This is a retrograde step IMHO. I now have to consider whether or not to keep this phone and alter my way of using it or return it under Motorola’s 14 day “no quibbles” return policy.

It’s a real pity because I was very happy with my G5 Plus and being in a situation where I had to get another phone, I went for the latest “improved” version.

I can find no description or information anywhere that reveals this “quirk” of the design. Maybe it is something that you can make clear to potential buyers via your excellent website.

Hi Martyn,
Many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, lots of smartphone manufacturers have towards this new design where the second SIM card slot doubles up as a micro-SD card slot. In fact, this is probably now more common than having a dedicated micro-SD slot in a dual-SIM smartphone (though some dual-SIM smartphones without a hybrid SIM slot still exist). There is a hack that some people use so they can have both a second SIM card and a micro-SD card in the slot at the same time (however, it’s very fiddly and involves taking apart your SIM card so I’d probably recommend against it for this reason).
Ken

Robert Coesaid:

Hi Ken,
I was really pleased with my Moto G4 Play, bought earlier in the year from your Motorola link. Sadly the phone has become as slow as a cart horse!
Is there any ‘fix’ or do I just replace it? The G5S looks an option but I’m averse to spending money unnecessarily!

Hi Robert,
Many thanks for your comment. I’m sorry to hear that your Moto G4 Play has slowed down. Unfortunately, this happens over time with smartphones and sometimes a little maintenance is required to keep it performing a bit better. Typically, I’d free up space on the internal storage (e.g. by moving some older photos to a computer hard drive or to cloud storage). Removing unnecessary applications should also help out a little – there should be lots of guides on the internet showing you how to speed up your handset.
The “nuclear option” is to reset your handset to factory condition (or of course, you could always decide to buy a new handset instead).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Justinsaid:

Hi Justin,
Thanks for your comment. I’m not aware of any plans for the Moto G5S Plus to be offered on Pay Monthly contract in the UK. Is there any reason you don’t want to buy the handset on a SIM-free basis? This is by far the most popular way of buying Motorola handsets and is typically also a lot cheaper over the long-term compared to contract.
Ken

Hi Kate,
Many thanks for your comment. According to the Samsung website, you’ll just need a phone running Android 4.4 or later with at least 1.5GB of RAM. Therefore, both the Moto G5 Plus and Moto G5S Plus should work fine with the Gear Fit 2!
Hope this helps,
Ken

Katereplied:

Ian Beschsaid:

Not being one who needs the latest and greatest, I’m still quite happy with my Moto G 1st gen (yes, you read that correctly!). I have a suggestion for travellers. Last year I commented on a problem I had with my phone with UK PAYG SIM cards purchased at the airport after arriving from Canada. The phone just would not “see” the card, regardless of carrier. I’ve done some deeper research and discovered a fix. A small slip of paper underneath the SIM card raises it just enough for the pins to make contact. I suspect UK cards are fractionally thinner than ours. I’m a happy camper now that I’ll be able to effectively use my phone during my next visit.

Hi Ian,
Thanks for your comment, and it’s great you’re still going strong with the 1st generation Moto G! It’s strange what you describe with the phone not being able to make contact with the SIM card. There’s a little more information here, but in short: Micro SIMs have a regulated thickness of 0.76mm and this should apply to SIM cards anywhere in the world. It’s possible some of the new triple-SIMs (where you get a Standard SIM, Micro SIM and Nano SIM in one) are fractionally thinner as the Nano SIM portion of it should be just 0.67mm in thickness.
Anyway, it’s great this has at least solved your problem, though in theory it shouldn’t be necessary for you to have to do it!
Ken

Hi Louise,
Many thanks for your comment. Apologies: I hadn’t seen that section of the Unidays T&C. I’ll update the post to make this clearer, but in your case, I suspect the student discount will be a little bit better (assuming the device is more than £100, the 10% off should equate to a slightly larger discount).
Ken

Hi Richard,
Motorola has published a list of handsets on their blog, which will receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo. All of the Moto G5 handsets are on that list (and I believe they’ve now also got plans to make it available on the Moto G4).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Normsaid:

Hi Norm,
Many thanks for your comment. I think the Moto G4 is still a great phone, but unfortunately I don’t think it’s still available to buy in the UK. I’d now probably recommend buying the Moto G5 instead (or preferably, the Moto G5 Plus if you’re OK with paying a little more for it).
Ken

Alisonsaid:

Hello Ken,
Interesting read, thank you. I’ve also read Katharine Byrnes article on the moto G 3rd generation but cannot source it new as sim free in the uk. Any ideas? What is the next best all rounder for under £150

Hi Alison,
Unfortunately, the Moto G 3rd generation is now end-of-life (it was first released in July 2015 and has since been replaced by the Moto G4 and Moto G5). My recommendation would therefore be to now buy a Moto G5: it’s available from £160 SIM-free and is far superior in every way to the older Moto G3.
Hope this helps!
Ken

Hi Alison,
Just a quick note to let you know that Motorola is offering £30 off the Moto G5 at present. You can order the Moto G5 with 3GB of RAM via this link for £149.95 (use the voucher codes MOTOUKG5 and UKWELCOME10 during checkout for £30 off until the 6th August 2017). This should bring the handset just within your budget of £150.
Hope this helps!
Ken

Joe Bakersaid:

Hi Joe,
Many thanks your comment. I’m so sorry about this – the information in that table just hadn’t been updated. I’ve just updated the article now with all of the latest prices, and unfortunately the price has gone up to £169 at John Lewis. You can get it slightly cheaper at Amazon for £159.99 (or alternatively, get the version with 3GB of RAM for £169.95 when you use the UKWELCOME10 voucher code at Motorola).
Thanks again for letting me know about this,
Ken

Jesssaid:

Do you know the quality of Motorola’s customer service. I recently sold a Wileyfox phone held for less than a year due to their appalling customer service. The only way to liaise is through a web chat, It took three weeks to return a phone due to non responses and their faulty computer systems. In addition they don’t pay for postage. In comparison Tesco has a freephone number and sends a reply paid envelope.

Hi Jess,
Many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the quality of Motorola’s customer service – perhaps someone else reading this article may have had a more direct experience? They do of course have a UK phone number and I believe returns are to a UK address.
Ken

Jesssaid:

Excellent article. With regards to guarantee period I believe EU law requires all mobile phones to have a two year guarantee. I wasn’t aware of this until I contacted Tesco to have an old phone unblocked as my smartphone was faulty. Thanks to a helpful assistant I was able to get my smartphone repaired, also purchased from Tesco.

Russell Bakersaid:

Ken
Very grateful to you for maintaining this really useful website which saved me £20 extra when buying MotoG5 plus direct from Motorola. Perhaps worth mentioning that delivery takes about a week. Example ordered on Saturday last and not yet received Friday. No problem for me assuming it comes soon but useful to know when mobile phones are often next day delivery.
Regards
Russ

Hi Russell,
Many thanks for your comment – this is a really good point, as I believe they ship directly from the factory to your door (hence, it often takes about a week for the handset to arrive).
Ken

Russell Bakerreplied:

Ken
Actually while delivery did take a few days in retrospect it is quick when on the delivery note it shows Factory to Shanghai Airport Fed Ex, Customs, Belgium, Paris, Customs, Stanstead, Customs, Hub Depot, Stoke Depot on Van. All this between Saturday PM and Friday PM.

Item received and working well very pleased with purchase and the saving you indicated.

Jeffsaid:

Hi Jeff,
Many thanks for your comment. I’ve just seen that Motorola has begun their summer sales and they’re currently offering the Moto Z for £289 (previously £499). To get it at this price, you should it order it here using the voucher code ZUKSUMMER followed by UKWELCOME10. I believe the offer ends this Sunday (18th June).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Joshsaid:

Hi Josh,
Many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, it looks like the MOTOG4PLAYUK voucher code promotion has now come to an end so I’ve just removed it from the comparison table above. Sorry for the confusion once again and thank you for the heads up on this.
Ken

Matsaid:

Hi Mat,
The UK version of the Moto G5 Plus does indeed support NFC & Android Pay payments. I believe things might be different on the US version of the handset, which I believe lacks NFC & Android Pay support.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Hi Sinead,
Many thanks for your comment and a very good question! The Moto G5, along with other handsets from John Lewis, will be permanently unlocked for use on any mobile network (either in the UK or on compatible mobile networks abroad).
Automatic locking to the first mobile network used is a unique behaviour that only applies to SIM-free iPhones purchased from certain retailers like the Carphone Warehouse.
Hope this helps!
Ken

Hi Chris,
Many thanks for your comment. As far as I know, the Moto G4 is still available for sale – I haven’t heard anything about it being discontinued. Sometimes the phone does go out of stock before coming back (if it continues remaining out of stock for a bit longer, I can ping the guys at Motorola to see if they have any more information).
Ken

Chris Rustreplied:

Hi all,
Great news! Motorola have just bought back the £10 off voucher code for the Moto G5 Plus. By using the UKWELCOME10 voucher code during checkout, you can now get the Moto G5 Plus for £239. I’ve updated the table above to reflect this.
Enjoy!
Ken

Tonysaid:

Hi Tony,
Many thanks for the comment. As far as I know, there are no plans to currently release the 64GB Moto G5 Plus here in the UK. If you need the extra storage, your best bet might be the currently discounted Moto G4 Plus (it has a larger screen and many similar specifications, but lacks the metallic build of the Moto G5 Plus).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Hi Jon,
Thanks for the comment. The discount code does work, but the website is a little bit confusing! The Moto G5 will still be listed as costing £249, but the total cost will drop to £239. The reduced price is shown in the bottom-right corner of the screen, and can sometimes appear below the footer if you’re using it on a large desktop computer.
Ken

Markreplied:

Hi Ken,
I ordered the G5 Plus direct, with 3GB RAM, and 64GB ROM.
I tried the UKWELCOME10 Code, but that did not work and I got no credit when I ordered despite it indicating I would, it seems to be only working for the Moto X FORCE which is stated on the offer popup (see text below)

Both colour options went out of stock for a few days, but were back in stock on 8th April and back out of stock again.
I was advised by tweet that the 4GB/64GB would not be available in the UK, but I think the 4/64 will be limited to O2 (speculation, if not them then someone else) on contract from other sites I ahve seen.
My estimated delviery is 18th April, having been advised build was completed on 11th April, with my order being placed on 8th April.

Regards,
Mark

Here is the text from the website popup:
Are you sure you want to leave?
Buy the Moto X Force (32GB) Today for £350 and save £99
with codes
UKWELCOME10 and UKFORCE10

Hi Mark,
Many thanks for the comment. I’ve just tried this as well, and also unable to get the UKWELCOME10 voucher code working with the Moto G5 Plus. I’m just checking this with Motorola as it was working previously, and will update the article as soon as I hear back.
Ken

Jon Roereplied:

I’ve just been on the Motorola website and seen that the G5 Plus is back in stock. Took it all the way to order and, whilst it accepted the UKWELCOME10 discount code, no money is deducted. Can you please take a look on the site yourself as I’m sure you’ll find the same thing.

Hi Jon,
Many thanks for the comment. I’ve just tried as well, and also unable to get any discount on the Moto G5 Plus using the UKWELCOME10 voucher code. It was working previously, so they may have stopped the promotion on this handset – I’m just checking with Motorola at present and will update the information on this page as soon as I hear back.
Thanks again!
Ken

Hi there,
Unfortunately, I’ve now had confirmation that the “£10 off” voucher code (UKWELCOME10) has been withdrawn from the Moto G5 Plus. You can still use it on other Motorola products like the Moto G4 and Moto Z, but for the time being, it’s not available on the Moto G5 Plus.
I’ll update the information above should the £10 discount return in the future.
Ken

Kevinsaid:

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the heads up about this – looks like it’s back to £130 again but now displaying “Usually dispatched within 1 to 2 months”. I suspect therefore, Amazon doesn’t really have any models of the Moto G4 in stock (personally, I think it’s probably worth ordering from Motorola at £134.95 instead as you also get dual-SIM and Moto Maker functionality there).
Ken

Stefansaid:

Thank you for this excellent overview. My main phone is a Moto G4 and I have had a dual sim Moto G2 before. I’m very pleased with the Moto G4, it is very fast and I like the big screen. It might be a bit large for some but you quickly get used to it.

I don’t understand why Motorola have made the Moto G5 smaller and slower than the Moto G4, even the Moto G5 Plus is smaller than the Moto G4. The battery is also smaller. I won’t be upgrading my phone anytime soon and if it breaks it might just buy another Moto G4 instead. To me the Moto G5 feels like a downgrade compared to the Moto G4.

Hi Stefan,
Thanks for the feedback and really glad to know you found the website useful! I think I’m with you somewhat in preferring the Moto G4 over the Moto G5. I suppose the major upgrade with the Moto G5 is the metallic design, but to keep the prices affordable Motorola have cut features elsewhere (hence the slower processor, the smaller screen, lack of Moto Maker, etc). Personally, I think there’s definitely a case for buying the Moto G4 over the Moto G5 (though with the Plus models, I’d definitely choose the Moto G5 Plus over the Moto G4 Plus).
Ken

Hi Avik,
Thanks for your comment. From your two options, I’d personally go for the Moto G4 Plus. It has better specifications and dual-SIM capabilities, whereas I believe the UK version of the Moto G5 is single-SIM only.
Ken

Jimmersaid:

I found your review to be extremely helpful, and only have myself to blame for not purchasing the Moto G4 when the winter sale was on.

Are you able to give any buying advice on a Moto G4 Plus now? I see you think this is the better option with the camera mb rating. I like the idea of having two sim cards in the one handset, but not sure if I need the 32gb model.

Hi Jimmer,
Personally, yes, I would go for the Moto G4 Plus for the numerous reasons listed here (notably, the better camera, but the fingerprint sensor is also handy and saves time). I also think it’s well worthwhile having the extra storage as this helps your phone to perform a lot better. Obviously, though, you’ll need to balance this against the extra cost.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Hi Jimmer,
I believe the Moto G4 Plus is only sold by Motorola Direct and Amazon.co.uk. Therefore, the best price deal will be from one of the two listed above (probably Motorola Direct if they have the handset in stock).
Ken

Willsaid:

As with your previous blogs, congratulations on setting out the facts much more clearly than other reviews.

I have a moto G3 and love the camera. Storage however, has always been a big problem.

I read somewhere that the G4 is not waterproof like the G3….. Is this the true?…seems to be a backward step if so. I know many people who really want that feature including me.

Regarding the G4, I am curious which model would contain a better camera than the G3. Would the G4 or G4 plus be necessary? I anticipate the G4 play would be unsuitable for me due to inferior storage and camera.

Hi Will,
Thanks for your comment and for the kind feedback! You’re right: unfortunately, the Moto G4 doesn’t have waterproof capabilities. Apparently, Motorola decided not to keep this feature as it wasn’t that popular amongst users and added bulk to the device. You might be able to get around this with something like a waterproof case, but of course this isn’t exactly the same as you need to remember to put the case on the handset!
Finally, with regards to the two different models, I’d definitely choose the Moto G4 Plus if you’d like a better camera (especially as it’s not that much more expensive than the Moto G4).
Hope this helps!
Ken

Adamsaid:

Hi and thanks for all the wonderful help and advice. Please could you also recommend a good case that covers front and back and also has a stand? I’m in the uk and am rather confuse having looked online. Thanks again for your kind help. 🙂

Rickysaid:

Brilliant review and most helpful…I’ve been researching android and the Moto G4 plus for weeks now as I’m considering leaving iOS and ditching my iPhone 6 Plus. If I take the leap of faith it will be for the moto g4 plus 64gb/4gb ram version priced at the compelling £224 thanks to your voucher codes. Question is do you think it may be with waiting for the moto G5 plus soon to be announced in Feb 2017? Likely to have a 625 processor and maybe more ram? Although I guess the voucher codes won’t apply then so maybe nearer the £300 mark?

Hi Ricky,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about the Moto G5 Plus so it’s difficult to say whether it’s worthwhile waiting for it! You’re right however: it’s pretty unlikely there’ll be any discounts on this (if anything, it will probably cost more than the Moto G4 Plus).
Ken

Marksaid:

Hi Ken,
Thanks for a fantastic treasure trove of info, only enhanced by all the great feedback from people.
It’s my 50th Birthday next month, so I am looking to treat myself (a little) and get a Moto G4 PLus 64. I’ve been a user of A Moto G 2nd Gen and happy apart from lack of RAM .
As you’ve indicated the G4 PLus is a really good mid priced phone with features of better models.
Before I take the plunge, are there any other similarly priced banded phones to consider?

Hi Mark,
Thank you for your kind comments and congratulations as well! I think the Moto G4 Plus is definitely my recommendation. There are some alternatives from lesser-known brands also worth having a look at e.g. the Honor 6X but I think my favourite is still the Moto G4!
Ken

Markreplied:

Markreplied:

So it’s my birthday tommorow and I received the money for the phone, I went to order and it is Out of Stock! Argh!
Rumours of Moto G5 being announced by start of next week (though not available till March), so that may be the reason. Hopefully just a short wait!

Has anyone experienced the delay before? Is it likely to be days or weeks?

Tom Smithsaid:

Hi Tom,
You’re right: unfortunately, the Moto G4 Plus isn’t available on a Pay Monthly contract. I’d recommend buying it directly from Motorola for £189 SIM-free and unlocked. That will allow you to pick up a great value SIM-only deal (the savings you’ll get from such a deal will more than cancel out the upfront cost of the handset over 24 months). Alternatively, you could consider buying the Moto G4 Plus on a credit card (here, you might be able to spread out the cost of the handset). For a bit more background in this area, you might find it interesting to read my article on hidden APRs.
Thanks!
Ken

Mal Turtonsaid:

Hi. Thank you for very good review. I’m looking to change my (vodaphone) smart ultra 6 for a G4 because the ultra 6 is no good with VR headset. Do you know if the G4 is fully compatible with VR headset or are there any other budget phones more suitable?

Hi Mal,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any VR headsets you can use with the Moto G4, except possibly the Google Cardboard (if you call that a headset). Personally, I find VR technology is a little bit faddish so I personally wouldn’t choose my next phone based on that factor alone. Cardboard is good for short occasional VR usage like watching a 360 video. For extended usage, I’d probably go for a higher-end handset with a Quad-HD screen (for the higher pixel density) and more advanced head tracking technology (something like the Galaxy S7 with Gear VR).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Fred Tilleysaid:

Hi Ken. I just found your website by accident today, and I have to say, that you have provided the ” BEST ” information on the Moto G range of smartphones, that I have read to date. You have made comparing smartphones a ” walk in the park ” compared to some of the so called expert websites I have had to trawl through. It was a pleasure to visit this site today ! Thank you Ken.

Angesaid:

The G4 plus 64Gb is out of stock and doesn’t seem to be available anywhere else. Motorola don’t even know when it will be in stock again! They’re missing a trick this close to Christmas, as I for one wont be waiting I’ll get a different phone.

Michael Kanesaid:

Love to buy G4 plus and my preferred supplier is Tesco due to the convenience/coverage of their stores, but currently only G4 and Play available. Do you have any advance /insider knowledge of when they are likely to offer Plus version?
Thanks,
Mike.

Hi Michael,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any plans for Tesco.com to stock the Moto G4 Plus. I believe it’s exclusive to Motorola Direct, or alternatively you can get a 16GB model from Amazon.co.uk.
Ken

Hi Derric,
Thanks for your comment. All Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus smartphones sold by Motorola have dual-SIM capabilities. For more information about this, see the Moto G Plus product page – towards the bottom it reads:

Dual-SIM also available
You can have two SIM plans or phone numbers in one phone. Dual SIM standard on all Moto Maker Moto G4 Plus handsets.

Hi Gerald,
Thanks for the heads up on this – this is super useful! The prices have been in flux quite a lot this week due to Black Friday offers – I’ve just updated the table above with the latest offers available. Motorola Direct is now down to £149 with a free premium back so is still my recommended retailer for anyone buying a Moto G smartphone.
Thanks,
Ken

Johnsaid:

Excellent review – I found it most helpful and I am much enthused! Keen to go for the 4G Plus 4/64g with the discounts you have indicated. BUT 2 questions holding me back at present about MotoRolaDirect. OK they ship direct from China but does their price include import and VAT duty or will that be demanded by customs? An additional 22.5% would be a blow. And if there are any warranty issues, where does one have to post it back to? China would be a long and expensive post compared with popping back to Argos. Are you able to shed light on this? Many thanks. John

Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. To answer your questions:
1) Yes, VAT and all relevant duties are already included in the price. You can see this in the breakdown of charges when you enter your shipping information. You can also read the terms of sale for more information. Notably, you’ll be glad to know that the handset is being sold by Motorola in the UK (“The Device is sold by Motorola Mobility Uk Ltd. Redwood, Chineham Business Park, Crockford Lane, Basingstoke, RG24 8WQ, United Kingdom”). The only reason they ship from China is because the handset is built to order (so it’s sent directly to you, rather than via a UK warehouse).
2) Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact details of their handset return policy. I recommend sending them a message through this form to ask or you can call them on 03339 997 550.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Johnreplied:

Thanks for such a clear and reassuring reply! It has settled my mind and I will now go ahead with the G4 Plus 4/64 direct from MotorolaDirect in preference to the Xiaomi redmi5 which I had been eyeing but which carries cost problems of importing and supporting from China. Your review and response were so helpful. Thanks again.

Johnreplied:

Just had to follow up to tell you that following the above, I went ahead and ordered the phone at MotorolaDirect on 10 Nov and it arrived by FedEx at my door in UK at 11.30am on 16 Nov! Very impressive! The phone is every bit as good as I had hoped and I am very pleased indeed with it and the service of MotorolaDirect.

Bob Almondsaid:

Thanks so much for this page – really helped. I went with Motorola Direct, as I really fancied the dual-sim functionality; bought the G4, and was pleasantly surprised that the package delivered included the turbo charger as standard.

PAUL HIGGSsaid:

Great Article Ken Im in the same boat as disappointed Dave ordered my G4 from Motorola site on the 23rd got an estimated delivery date of the 30th Oct.Still waiting worse still you get no useful info as regards whereabouts from the staff manning the Motorola chat.All i got it’s left the warehouse but they could not supply the date when it left.Hopefully it will be here for Christmas?

PAUL HIGGSreplied:

helensaid:

Great info to upgrade my 3rd Gen phone – i also used the 2 codes supplied and yes, it worked! I went for the G4 Moto 4 G Plus and thank you for taking the time to write and share this info, it was exactly what I needed, condensed, accurate and informative.

disappointed Davesaid:

What isn’t mentioned, on this site nor, more alarmingly, on the Motorola site is that the phone you select to be built will be sent from China and will take a week just to despatch into the ether that is the journey from China to England.
As a regular buyer from China and also having a brother in Chengdu to and from whom we send things, the best delivery time is 9 days, the worst is non arrival/confiscation by customs/loss in transit or whatever happens to such items. Average is 11 days. so heaven only knows when when my phone will arrive.
I would have been less annoyed if this had been explained in the sales bumph or even by the customer services staff that I both emailed and phoned.
The first I knew was when I got the email detailing the delivery.

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the feedback. I believe all of the Moto G devices on the Motorola website are built to order depending on your specification choices. This is why they ship from China, as opposed to shipping from a UK location. Regarding customs, I’m totally sure Motorola will sort this out from their end. With regards to delivery times, the feedback from our readers (e.g. here) is it typically takes about one week to arrive.
Ken

Delighted Davereplied:

Thanks Ken,
I should have had more faith.
FexEx got my phone here in 9 days with it spending the weekend in Memphis en route. (no selfies with Elvis).
I do wish Motorola had simply explained this point during the purchase. I doubt I would have changed my mind.
It seems like a great value phone.
Not quite a match for my LG G3 before the hardware fail, but an adequate phone that is fully functional as well as sufficiently stylish.
The dual sim feature is a great bonus, offering full 4G on both sims. With the huge capacity of microSD support this has the potential to be a device to last where my previous flagships have fallen well before the finish.
Thanks for the advice about the discount codes and the very good site overall. Thanks also for breathing positivity into my despair.
Maybe you could update your page to explain what Lenovo/Motorola fail to indicate about manufacture and delivery.

And for those interested, I got the White 2/16GB. Moto G4 which came with the Turbo charger and cable. Custom silver trim and blue back. All for £149. It comes with 2 nano to micro sim adapters for iPhone migrants leaving the darkside. Android 6.0 auto updating to 6.0.1.
Battery life is great so far from initial charge I’ve dropped to 24% which claims to be 7 more hours use.
I’ve been downloading apps, reinstated my google account etc plus the inevitable testing and exploration of menus.
That’s comparable with my LG G3 possibly better.
There’s not the level of sophistication as my earlier phones so I’ve added SwiftKey and Total Commander. Then again there’s no bloat ware taking up storage.
Too early to give it a rating but so far I’m pleased.

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the update regarding delivery and for also sharing your thoughts about the Moto G4. I’m glad you found the website useful and also really happy to know you’re enjoying the new phone!
Regarding delivery, I think you make a really valid point. Personally, I don’t think it warrants anything like a “warning” seeing as you’re getting a custom-built phone directly from the factory and there’s also free shipping included in the price. However, the mechanics of this worldwide delivery can sometimes be important – for instance if you need to order a phone in December and have it arrive quickly in time for Christmas. I’ll look at how we can highlight this appropriately when updating the next version of the review.
Thanks again!
Ken

Hi Roy,
Thanks for the feedback. I’ve just taken a look at this and you’re right: the version of the Moto G Plus on Amazon.co.uk now comes with 16GB rather than 32GB of storage (current price is £199). The 32GB version is exclusive to Motorola Direct.
Thanks for the heads up again – I’ve just updated the article above to reflect this.
Ken

Mister Preplied:

Just to let you know, the white dual sim g4plus at Amazon is £184.99 again. It changed from £199.00 at midday today (27/10/16). I suppose it’s Amazon’s way of ‘shocking’ us undecided people into taking the plunge !!

Davidsaid:

Just a quick question about the dual sim cards in the Moto G4 phone(taken out through Motorla Direct). Can the sim cards work on different networks, providing the network supports 4G, or have they both to be on the same network?

Hi David,
Yes, you can use the two SIM cards on different mobile networks 🙂 This means you could have different networks for personal & work, or you could have your home SIM card along with a local SIM card when you’re travelling abroad in another country.
Ken

MonPireSiresaid:

I’ve seen that on the John Lewis site, there is a 2 years warranty that comes with it. However, I’m unable to see whether there is anything of the sort on other sites. Also, using Flubit can save you 9%.
Cheers!

Richardsaid:

In contrast to the comments from David. I ordered a Moto G3 from Motorola Direct over a week ago as a ‘Guest’. I normally save the order confirmation as an archive web page as a record rather than printing. I did not receive a confirmation email and so the only information I have is the archive web page containing the order number. Having used Motorola’s chat to try and find what is happening with the order I have been told it is pending sending to their fulfillment centre. I have confirmed the correct e-mail address has been used through the chat communication but having made the order as a Guest there is no way on tracking the order online. Apparently Motorola only send out an email once the phone is sent to the fulfillment centre for delivery. This does all seems to be very poor communication by Motorola.

Mihaelareplied:

Did you eventually get your phone and how long did it take? I also ordered as a guest a couple of days ago and still haven’t received confirmation e-mail (I only have the order number). I and was just getting worried when I noticed your comment here. Not sure if I need to contact Motorola or just to wait patiently and hope for the best.

Rob0555said:

Very interested in the G4 32GB, however I want to use it on the EE network (for network coverage in my rural location) which isn’t listed above , I’m guessing because EE don’t sell the Moto G4. However am I right in thinking there is no reason why it shouldn’t work with an EE SIM?

Rob0555replied:

Davidsaid:

Following my recent comments I feel compelled to update you regarding my experience of buying a Moto G4 from Motorola Direct.

I wanted a dual SIM phone, which are hard to track down in the UK, so I placed my order with Motorola Direct at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday 13th July, in the knowledge that delivery was forecast for Friday 22nd July.

I received an immediate acknowledgement email and 3 hours later I received a further email confirming that my phone was being ‘built’. At 9.00 a.m. Friday 15th I received another email, which confirmed that my order had been shipped.

However, my heart immediately sank when I clicked upon the tracking details to discover that it was being shipped from Shenzhen, in the Peoples Republic of China. I was totally astonished by this development, and immediately imagined that my phone would not arrive prior to my departing on holiday on 23rd July.

I am delighted to report that my fears were totally ungrounded. My phone arrived at East Midlands Airport in the early hours of this morning, Monday 18th July. By 5.00 a.m. it was in Manchester, and at 10.39 a.m. it was to delivered by DHL to my remote rural location in the Yorkshire Dales. Given that I did not place my order until after the (UK’s) close of business on Wednesday, this equates to what I would have expected using a 48-hour UK delivery service.

I have been utterly dumbfounded by this speediness and can only question how quickly my phone may have reached me if the weekend had not got in the way.

Hi David,
Thanks for the feedback regarding Motorola Direct! I believe the handsets are shipped from China as they’re built-to-order based on your choices in Moto Maker. It’s great to know the handset was still delivered incredibly quickly: the general feedback I’ve seen elsewhere on the internet is it takes about 4 days for the handset to be built and delivered (they normally provide a later ETA in case of delays, issues with delivery, etc).
Enjoy your new handset and have a lovely holiday next week! 🙂
Ken

Davidsaid:

It may be worth mentioning that your Amazon link to the 32Gb Moto G4 Plus relates to a single SIM version of this phone as opposed to the dual SIM versions sold by Motorola.

Several Amazon reviewers have expressed disappointment that their phones arrived without dual SIM capability as they expected.

It is possibly also worth mentioning that whilst all of the G4s have the TurboPower™ charging capability (up to 6 hours of power in 15 minutes of charging) only the Plus variants include the relevant charger.

Hi David,
Thank you for the kind feedback on this! I’ve just clarified the article with an update on the dual-SIM situation. There’s also a discussion about the TurboPower charging in the “Which Moto G?” section of the article.
Thanks again and do let me know if you have any further feedback!
Ken

Stevesaid:

Hi Ken
Don’t know whether this is a Moto, Android or user (me!) issue.
I’ve got a 2nd gen Moto G and last weekend got a message to update the operating system to Marshmallow which I duly did.
Prior to the update I was able to plug the phone into my PC to view and download photos off the SD card without any problem. Now, when I plug the phone in and open it in Windows Explorer (Windows 7) no files/folders show up in the SD card. The photos are still there and I can see that several Gb of memory is used up but I can’t get at the photos! A couple of my more tech savvy work colleagues have looked at it and can’t work it out.
Do you, or anyone else out there, have any ideas?

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve noticed this sometimes as well when connecting your Android smartphone to a PC. Do you have a screen lock (e.g. a PIN number or password on your phone)? If so, you’ll need to enter this when your phone is attached to your PC (otherwise it will show up blank with no files in Windows Explorer). There’s actually a very good reason for this: it’s so that people can’t steal the files from your device without you knowing (e.g. USB charging ports are sometimes offered in public places – by default, only power is accepted and no data is transferred so people aren’t able to make a rogue charging port from where they can steal all your data).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Simon Csaid:

Just a word of warning – steer clear of the 8gb version of this phone. I bought one around six months ago from Argos. All fine for the first few months, as these phones usually are. Recently it started playing up with storage issues. I don’t download tons of apps, just a core that I find very useful plus the odd news app. I started moving apps to the sd card to try and free up space but still encountered problems. Then last week the phone decided that it was time to upgrade to the latest version of Android, Marshmallow I believe. I now can’t re-download any of the apps from the Play store as there is imsufficient space left to install them, Marshmallow has swallowed up all my storage. There’s also no option availabie to move apps to the sd card. I shall be going to Argos this week to hopefully get a refund. I think I’ve decided to get the 64gb version of the One Plus 2. Thanks Motorola and goodbye!

Julianreplied:

Simonreplied:

Yes Argos’s customer service is second to none. Originally I bought a Samsung S3 from them. After 15 months it became virtually unusable. Argos refunded me even though it was 3 months over the warranty. I then got a Moto G from them which developed problems so they exchanged that after 6 months for a moto G 2nd gen. Then after my recent storage problems they again refunded me and with a £30 cash adjustment I’ve now got a 16gb 3rd gen Moto G. I’m going to be more careful with what apps etc I download so hopefully this one will last a bit longer!

Buyungsaid:

I wish to purchase Motorola Moto G 3rd Gen for replacement of my Jellybean device, either from Amazon or Moto Maker. However, some unpleasant experiences from people who ordered from Moto Maker worried me. Furthermore, it shipped from China.

Well, I prefer to purchase from Amazon. But it is only black and no personal customisation. What do you think?

Hi Aidan,
That’s right: you can buy the 16GB model directly from Motorola with the £10 discount code (UKWELCOME10). This will bring the price down to £169.99. Your handset will also be SIM-free & unlocked so you can use it with a micro-SIM from giffgaff.
Hope this helps,
Ken

ALsaid:

Good article. I’m pretty much sold on the Motorola G but I wanted a dual sim. Any idea if the 3rd Generation is coming to the UK any time soon? I want to buy from a proper UK firm to ensure I have support if there are problems and so it is UK compatable. I’ve seen the single sim on offer cheaper than the dual 2nd gen (CP/warehouse) and I’m tempted for the camera and better spec. Gonna be so disappointed if the Dual sim 3rd gen arrives a week later. Do you know what is in the pipeline? They say they know of no plans for them to stock it. Switching sims is a pain now they come in different sizes for different phones and you miss calls. Can you help?

Hi Pawel,
Thanks for your comment! Personally, yes, I think the Moto X Play is a good upgrade from the 16GB Moto G. You get a larger screen (5.5″ full HD vs 5.0″ HD), a better camera (21MP vs 13MP) and a larger capacity battery (3630mAh VS 2470mAh). For me, these three things are fairly important so I would pay the £70 extra to get it. In the end though, I think everyone will have a different answer to this question – it really depends on what you’re looking for in your next handset!
Ken

Bobsaid:

Some sites report that it has dual sim 4G radio gear in it, meaning it can support 4G on both sims. Phones prior to this (Gen 2 and original) had only 1 4G radio, which meant the second sims is forced back to 2G only when one sim has 4G enabled on it

Does the Moto G Gen 3 support dual 4G on both sims at the same time or not?

It seems manufacturers are simply not telling consumers this vital bit of information

Why is it important? Because in 2017 (maybe earlier), in Australia, the carriers will begin switching off 2G networks! That makes this phone useless as a dual sim phone if one sim will only support 2G while the other is in 4G mode

Andy Merricksaid:

Had a really rubbish experience with the buggy “Moto Maker” site.
Eventually I managed to get an order placed but what arrived from China was not what I had specified. Motorola agreed to replace it, sent DHL labels to return (to Germany) and (eventually) sent me a “PIN code” to reorder on the Moto Maker site. PIN code did not work, and when I realised it was going to take forever to sort out the problem I asked for a refund – which took nearly a month to arrive even with repeated chasing (they blamed their IT department, which is believable, they do seem to be in a mess).
This story does have a happy ending, during this nightmare the Wileyfox Swift was released. I could not be happier with it !

Martinreplied:

I too have just had a rubbish experience with the UK “Moto Maker” site. Order refused twice for no reason and no explanation. Left in limbo for a week wondering whether they would debit my card or not. In the end they send you an email saying they refuse your order and for reasons of privacy and security they won’t tell you why.

Stevesaid:

Both my wife and myself have a 2nd gen Moto G with a Virgin sim only contract.
On a recent holiday to Cyprus neither of us could get any sort of signal. The phones did not automatically pick up any local network. I contacted Virgin on our return and was told that it was the phone set up that was at fault rather than Virgin and that in future I would need to manually search for a local network. Is this correct? can the phone be set up to automatically connect to a local network?
We are off to Tenerife in a couple of weeks so we obviously don’t want the same problem.

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comment. There are two things well worth checking:
1) Make sure that roaming is enabled in your Virgin Mobile account. I presume customer services should have checked this for you already, but it might be worth double-checking this anyway (more information here on how to do this).
2) I would normally recommend putting your phone onto automatic network selection. On the Moto G, you can do this through Settings > More… > Mobile networks > Network operators > Select automatically. If you do this, then your handset will try to automatically connect to roaming mobile networks whilst you’re abroad in another country. Sometimes, people experience a problem when they set their phone to manually connect to one network (in this case, it won’t roam automatically when abroad). If you’re still having problems, then you can of course try to manually connect to the local networks (for Spain, you’ll be able to connect to either Orange, Vodafone or Movistar on the same screen as above).
Finally, if you have an unlocked handset, you might find it interesting to read my guide on the best SIM cards for Spain (they might work better when you’re over in Tenerife).
Hope this helps and have a lovely trip!
Ken

GregThreesaid:

Would it be possible for you to write a compare/contrast piece between the Moto G, & the Moto E (both third Gen, of course!), please? I would like to buy one of them, & not sure which to choose, as they’re so similar. Thanks

Hi Greg,
Thanks for the feedback! I have a separate article on the Moto E but nothing at the moment comparing the two handsets. Ultimately, though, it really depends on what you want to get from the handset. I’d personally recommend the Moto G over the Moto E (better display, better camera and better performance). However, it’s an extra £50 so it really depends on whether you want the extra features.
Ken

Li-Wensaid:

Angus Daysaid:

I have just visited a “3” store, intending to buy the Moto G 4G 3rd gen. for £139.99. All they could offer me was the Moto Maker option at £159.99. If I want the cheaper version, I have got to order it online. Boo!

Stephanie Muirsaid:

I came across your page this evening and found it so helpful, its the best advice I have received as I just could not make a decision on who I should get my new mobile phone from ie stay with who I am with or change. And your charts on prices etc etc was such a great help to me. Thanks once again.

Alan Beattiesaid:

I have just yesterday received from Motorola a reply to my query re. availability of 16GB version of Moto G 3rd gen. Basically they are saying that they are no longer responsible for the supply of these handsets but that they ARE available from Motorola’s product distributors and therefore they,Motorola, have no information regarding when retailers will order from this source.

Roryreplied:

Nice to see although now I have to return my 8gb one for a refund have ordered a 16gb as I can’t be waiting over 3 weeks for a new phone! My problem with the first gen is that the phone has become slow so I’m not making that mistake again and I’m sticking to 2gb of ram which will help the phone significantly! While it is an extra 30£ you can save 10£ by using the promo code UKWELCOME10 hope this helps people save pennies like it did me! Tanks for an awesome article Ken 🙂

Andy Merrickreplied:

Andy Merrickreplied:

Well 16GB is fully available today so I tried to buy one. No problem, except that on specifying a black front (not marked as a problem in moto maker) the delivery jumps from 24th August to 14th September.

The Moto G GSM edition (XT1540) will work on all 2G and 3G networks in the UK. Unfortunately, however, it won’t work on 4G networks in the UK. This is because it lacks support for band 20 LTE (800MHz) and band 3 LTE (1800MHz). On EE and Vodafone, there is some very limited coverage on band 7 LTE (2600MHz). However, I’m not totally sure if it’s possible to access this (as it’s mainly designed for LTE-Advanced).

The Moto G on US Cellular & Virgin Mobile (XT1548) will only work on 2G networks in the UK. It lacks UMTS/HSPA+ at 2100MHz (something you’d required for 3G in the UK).

Due of network compatibility, I strongly recommend buying the handset in the UK. If you do, however, choose to buy the handset in the US, make sure you buy the unlocked version!

Andy Merricksaid:

There is some good stuff here, but if I’m confused it may just be because things changed in the 1½ days since this article was published/updated.
The Motorola website is the only place a 16GB version is mentioned, but it isn’t actually available there. The words “not available” seem ominously different from the words “delayed shipping” (for the Navy-coloured back).
Also the prices quoted for buying from “Three” are £10 lower than those actually in force today, as Three insist that an “add-on” of at least £10 value must be on the order. Sadly this add-on will be of no value to those of us who have no 3G coverage, since I think Three no longer have an arrangement where you can drop back onto another network’s 2G where there is no 3G coverage.

Hi Andy,
Thanks for the heads up on the change to Motorola’s website. Also, for suggesting the clarification on prices for Three. I’ve now amended the article above – this should hopefully make it clearer and less confusing.
With regards to coverage on Three, you’re right in saying they no longer have a 2G fallback. The service was taken away sometime around 2011.
Thanks again,
Ken

Andy Merrickreplied:

Hi Ken
Main reason for wanting 16GB memory is that our existing smartphones (early 2012 Xperia Mini and Arc S) are both running out of life because of memory shortages (but otherwise they still suit us very well). Of course one doesn’t need to add apps to see the memory disappear, automatic updates to the original (non-removable) apps are sufficient to see the spare memory dwindle to nearly nothing. We have acres of space on the plug-in memory, and everything that can be moved there has been.
Has this experience made us unreasonably cautious on memory ? Is 8GB enough for any normal user ? We certainly aren’t “power users”, but recently got hooked on “whatsapp” (after quite a struggle to free up the memory for it !).

Angus Daysaid:

I have been looking forward to the release of the Moto G 4G 3rd gen. & managed to try one out this morning. I was happy with it apart from one thing. A pure white screen was marred by several areas of bluish blotches. These were very noticeable & would put me off buying this phone. A one off fault perhaps, Has anyone else seen this?

Angus Dayreplied:

I have just seen another one with exactly the same fault. The problem was “explained away” by the retailer who attributed the problem to heavy handed children. On the occasions that I have seen this fault in different retailers, all the other phones on display were unaffected. This observation was not answered by the salesman

Chrisreplied:

I was looking to upgrade my Motorola g 4G gen 1 to the gen2 but then found out that the 3rd Gen was being released. Now I could go to tesco and buy this phone but they are currently only selling the 8gb version. But I really wanted the 16GB version. Is the motorola web sit the only place I can currently buy this. the phone either needs to be unlocked or on Tesco’s as I have a sim only contract with them.

Danreplied:

Great article. It seems that the only place you can get the Moto g 16gb/2gb ram in the UK is on Motorola’s own site for an astonishing £200+. Any idea when we will be able to get this for less in UK stores?

Hi guys,
Unfortunately, it does look like 16GB version of the phone is exclusive to Moto Maker (there, it costs £209 SIM-free and unlocked). Obviously, this is some £69 more expensive than the basic 8GB version from other retailers (personally, I’d probably go for the 8GB given the large difference in price).
I haven’t heard of any other retailers planning to stock the 16GB version, so wouldn’t be surprised if this remains a Moto Maker exclusive, at least to start with. I do welcome any comments, however, if anyone manages to find it elsewhere!
Ken

baldpaulreplied:

I contacted motorola UK via email to ask about the availability of the 16gb model in retail outlets. I was told that the 16gb model is not available in the UK at present and they have no timescales of when it will be available! I notice that it is no longer available via Moto maker either. That may change of course but I have to say I’m pretty unimpressed that two models were announced but it’s not actually possible to buy one of them and no information regarding when it will be available! My current Moto G is a 8gb model and I spend too much time having to delete stuff from internal storage to put up with another 8gb model and 1gb RAM simply isn’t enough anymore.

Hi Paul,
Thanks for sharing the update from Motorola about the 16GB version of the handset. It’s a shame that the 16GB model won’t be available in the UK any time soon. Saying this, it’s not entirely unexpected, the same thing happened for the Moto G 2nd generation. I suspect Motorola will probably want to push people towards the Moto X Play instead (16GB of storage & 2GB of RAM at a RRP for £279 SIM-free and unlocked).
Ken

Petersaid:

I’m thinking of getting a Motorola phone but want the 4.5 inch screen rather than the 5 inch. I can’t decide between the Moto E 4G 2nd generation or the Moto G 4G 1st generation. Would you be able to give me any advice please? Many thanks, Peter.

Hi Peter,
Thanks for your comment: that’s a really interesting question! In general, the two handsets are actually very similar: they run the same software, have a similar form factor, etc. For me, personally, I’d probably choose the Moto G 4G 1st generation. This is because it has a higher-resolution screen (the Moto G 4G 1st Gen has a 1280×720 pixel screen whereas the Moto E 2nd Gen has a 960×540 pixel screen). What that means is substantially better images: a better viewing experience and sharper text on the internet. The Moto E 2nd Gen does have one or two benefits (it has the newer Snapdragon 410 processor rather than the old Snapdragon 400) but they’re fairly minor compared to the difference in quality of screen.
Ken

Simon Cookesaid:

Interesting site Ken! I’ve just got a Moto G 4g yesterday (2nd gen) after my Samsung Galaxy S3 inexplicably decided not to connect to my network anymore. Took the S3 back to Argos and they amazingly refunded me the cost even though it was seven months out of warranty. Great customer service.

Having used the phone for a day I honestly don’t know how Samsung can charge twice as much as the Moto G for what is, IMO, an inferior device. The only pitfall as far as I can see is the camera which isn’t great. I have other cameras so I’m not too bothered about that. I’m just glad to have a working phone, and a very fast one at that – connected to 4g today for the first time and I was getting a download speed of over 18Mbps – can’t complain about that! it’s also a joy to have pure Android with none of the Samsung bloatware.

I did call into Three to see what they had on offer contract-wise but as I’m on a SIM-only deal with them it made sense to go with Argos’s deal. I was however, rather annoyed to discover that Three will be contacting me between now and October to ask me to move to another plan, as the One Plan will be ending. No more unlimited data and tethering – boo!

Hi Simon,
Thanks for the feedback! I definitely agree that the Moto G handsets are a great buy (they’re much better value than the handsets sold by Apple & Samsung). The really good news is that Motorola have put a lot of price pressure on the mid-range smartphone market. As such, you’re now seeing some incredibly good handsets all launching at around £150 SIM-free. Fingers crossed that things will continue to move in the right direction!
With regards to The One Plan, it is a shame they’re now closing this off! Newer SIM-only tariffs with all-you-can-eat data now have 4GB of tethering (it’s not quite unlimited but it’s a fairly decent allowance!).
Ken

Simon Cookereplied:

Yes it’s frustrating, I’ve just really appreciated not having to worry about how much data I’ve been using over the last couple of years. I guess my network provider has been though and they’ll all be clamping down on it now?

I was in Tescos phone shop today looking for a charger (why don’t Motorola supply one?) and a couple were looking at the Moto G. I mentioned I’d just bought one and they shouldn’t hesitate at the price. Perhaps I should be getting commission from Motorola!
Simon

Hi Simon,
Indeed, you should be 😉 Really glad you’re enjoying the new handset!
RE: Motorola not providing a charger. Since 2009, handset manufacturers selling a smartphone in the EU have standardised on micro-USB for charging their handset. Hence, you should be able to use the charger from your old phone with the new Moto G (the Galaxy S3 also uses micro-USB for charging). Due to the standardised charging interface, most manufacturers no longer provide a charger with their phone. It’s a little bit annoying but overall I think it’s a win: there’s much less e-waste from duplicate chargers (82,000 tonnes every year according to statistics from the industry). The other bit of good news is that micro-USB chargers are incredibly cheap: you can buy any as they’re all compatible with each other 🙂
Ken
Ken

Simon Cookereplied:

Slight update: I haven’t installed a huge amount of apps on the phone, which is now about three weeks old. I was rather surprised to see after about a week that there is a bit of lag starting to show itself. When I click to go back to the home screen I quite often get a blank screen for a few seconds until the icons decide to appear. Rather annoying in a newish phone, and I’m loathe to install many more apps in case I find myself back in my previous dark place that was trying to use my hateful Samsung S3! I’m pretty sure that this slowing down will eventually occur with most modern smartphones, they’re just trying to do too much these days. I’m also getting an issue with sound distortion with the earpiece on some calls.

Simon Cookereplied:

By the way, I’ve found a really nice case that fits my Moto G perfectly – the Redneck universal XXlarge. Really nice leather case which even has a little ejector thingy built in. Got mine from Mobile Fun.co.uk though PC World have them as well. (I’m nothing to do with any of these companies btw!)

Dawn Raffertysaid:

Great helpful article. I have bought dual sim and can’t get it to work. If I put one sim in (EE) it works fine with decent signal. If I add in 2nd sim (3) my EE signal reduces to nearly nothing and it doesn’t show any signal with 3. My 3 sim works fine in other phone.

Hi Dawn,
Does the web page here describe the problems you’re having? If so, I recommend following the tips they’ve suggested. Otherwise, your best bet is probably to contact Motorola (it might be a technical issue with your handset).
Ken

Johnsaid:

I am looking at buying the Moto G 4G 5 – Inch 2nd Generation from Tesco direct which can be purchased for £150 less a £20 reduction until 20/4/15. At the moment I am on a 3G contract will this phone still work on a 3G contract until I move up to 4 G later in the year ?

Found your hints really helpful as I am a non technical person in their 60s !

Hi John,
Thanks for your comment and for the heads up regarding the discount from Tesco. You can indeed use a 4G handset on your current 3G contract (the 4G handset is backwards-compatible and will seamlessly switch between 2G, 3G and 4G).
Hope this helps!
Ken

Johnreplied:

Now own the new Moto G 4G just having an issue loading the Motorola Device Manager to my PC get through the majority of the process OK however after about 3/4 of the data downloading get an error message of ‘Moto helper service has stopped working’ and advised to close the program.

Have let it continue running before closing but never gets to the end of the download and have tried to install again a few times over a number of days with same result – any ideas what this could be and how can I finish the download ?

Williamsaid:

I was wondering the difference between the 4g and 4g (5 inch) versions? Is it just the camera and the screen size or is the 5 inch version better under the hood too? I have seen a cheap 4g 1st gen version and am reluctant (/too tight) to spend £40 more if it is just a slightly bigger screen and better cameras.

Also, would you recommend buying the 1st gen 4g phone or the 2nd gen 3g phone? My carrier does not have 4g at present but it would be nice to future-proof myself. Again – does the 2nd gen just have better screen and camera?

Hi Will,
The main differences are indeed a bigger screen and a higher-resolution camera. There’s also a slightly larger battery (2,390mAh on the second-gen 4G VS 2,070mAh on the first-gen 4G). Aside from that, most other specs remain the same including the processor, RAM and software. In terms of software, I have a slight preference for the second-gen 4G as it’s a newer device (more likely to be supported by updates for longer). Saying that, it’s only a hunch: with both handsets having the same processor & RAM, there’s no reason why Motorola couldn’t update their future second-gen software to also work on first-gen hardware.
Ken

bazzamanreplied:

Have to say that I prefer the Moto G 1st Gen, mostly due to the smaller screen (and hence smaller phone) – even then I find it unwieldy on occasions. Plus I have no real interest in the camera side (I can only imagine using it in an emergency, like an RTA, for evidence).

Managed to pick up a SIM-free Moto G 4g (1st Gen) for £89 in Tesco a month ago. Can’t complain at that!

Iansaid:

Hi Ken, I want couple of moto g’s for my wife & daughter, so want the second gen 5″ model. But…do all 2nd gen models only come with 8gb ‘onboard’ (+ expandable micro sd card) or can you get a 16gb (+sd expansion slot) plse?

I thought you could get such a model, but can’t seem to find any on the net & most retailers I speak to just want to offload what is on the shelf without clarifying the situation & future availability.

Then, of these, the 3G will have a dual sim but the 4g doesn’t – is that right?

And then, is it really better to get the 4g model even though it is not rolled out 100% yet? I appreciate it is faster etc but, realistically, is 3G still ‘fast enough’ for moderate usage? It’s not like the 3G is at a discount price even.

Thanks. (Also, any great deals for the above in your inbox currently? )

Hi Ian,
Thanks for your comment. To answer your questions in order:
1) There is a 16GB version of the Moto G 4G 2nd Generation but it isn’t available here in the UK. I believe it might be available in some other countries around the world (e.g. Brazil) though the supported LTE bands may vary so it may not be compatible with all UK networks. My personal recommendation is simply to get the 8GB version as it’s highly unlikely the 16GB version will be released in the UK. You can add a 32GB micro-SD card anyway so there shouldn’t be a problem storing your photos and other files.
2) Only the Moto G 3G 2nd Generation is a dual-SIM handset, the 4G version is single-SIM in the UK. The reasoning behind this is because of Motorola’s relationship with the UK networks. To date, all UK mobile networks have refused to sell a dual-SIM handset (this is because they want you to use their network for all of the services rather than using a different provider for cheaper calls, browsing, etc). At the same time, the major network operators are moving towards a 4G-ready line-up. Because of this, Motorola has a 4G version of their handset which is available SIM-free and also through network providers. The 3G-only version, with dual-SIM capabilities, is only available on a SIM-free basis.
3) My personal feeling is that 3G is certainly fast enough for pretty much everything. That said, I would probably still advise choosing a 4G-ready handset: it’s more future-proof and will eventually give you more reliable coverage (as 4G networks typically use lower-frequency signals than the old 3G networks).
Hope this helps!
Ken

Ianreplied:

OK, appreciate all that; one thing that still puzzles me – & why I asked about the 16gb originally – is that I am sure I read a review once (not yours) that basically said, ‘get the 16gb on-board memory, as all the apps only run off the installed memory and not off the sd memory and so 8gb can pretty soon get full up with just apps’?

Is that correct or did I misread same?

Oddly, the 4g version has a worse camera than the 3G version though but as it seems to retail at a full £30 cheaper than the 3G one (£130 / £160 respectively – and so £60 across two phones), and despite the fact that I quite like the idea of two sims (to shop around on minutes / data deals) I would tend to agree that the 4g seems the better one.

Hi Ian,
Thanks for getting back to me! I definitely agree having 16GB is much better than only having 8GB (you can see what I’ve written about smartphone storage here). Unfortunately, however, it isn’t an option for the Moto G (at least, if you were to buy your handset in the UK). Motorola does make it possible for you to move some applications to the micro SD card (this slightly alleviates the problem with storage).
With regards to the difference between 3G and 4G versions, it’s worth double-checking which generation of handset you’re buying. The 2nd generation Moto G smartphone has an 8 megapixel camera on both the 3G and 4G versions (the 4G version is also about £10 more expensive than the 3G version). You can buy the first-generation Moto G 4G for around £30 less (this is the one with a smaller screen and a lower-resolution camera). I’d probably now advise choosing the 2nd generation handset with 4G capabilities.
Ken

Hi Ian,
Thanks for the link and the comment! I haven’t heard or tried the Elephone P7000 – as you say, there’s the hassle of importing and also disadvantages relating to returns/support. That said, if you’ve done your research and read all the reviews, it could be a good alternative to the Moto G (imported smartphones from China have gained a lot of popularity over the past few years).
Ken

Ianreplied:

So, not sure it helps but, yes, the Chinese imported phones do seem to have tremendous specs compared to UK retail models so that plus the really rather poor write up of the 2nd gen 4g moto g model, I thought it worth the punt. Fingers crossed and I’ll let you know…

Hi Ian,
Yeah – I think the replies on this blog are limited to a maximum of 5 indentations (that’s probably why it’s going a little bit weird!).
Do please keep me updated on your experiences getting the Chinese import. I suppose, personally, I’ve always gone for trusted brands I’m able to buy locally. That said, I think there are some great bargains out there for anyone who’s happy to take a bit of risk to try a new device. The OnePlus One stands out as a device that’s gained a lot of popularity (it’s £228 which is nearly double the Moto G’s price). Going forward, Motorola is now a part of Lenovo. Hence, I wouldn’t be surprised if they start offering more low-cost smartphones but with added brand recognition.
Ken

Hi Andy,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I think it’s highly unlikely the Moto G 4G Dual SIM 2nd Generation will ever come to market in the UK. I’ve just replied to a comment from Vijay about this very question – hope it also helps to answer your questions!
Ken

Hi Andy,
I’m afraid I wouldn’t have any recommendations (I haven’t researched this topic in much detail!). With a quick glance at the GSMArena profile for the Xiaomi Redmi 2, it looks as if it would only have limited support for 4G in the UK. In the UK, we use FDD-LTE at 800MHz and 1800MHz (that’s band 3 and band 20 LTE). There’s also some very limited coverage at band 7 (2600MHz). With the Redmi 2, you’d only be able to get 4G coverage on EE and Three (see my article on the UK’s 4G landscape for more information).
Hope this helps!
Ken

Vijaysaid:

Hi Ken,
You have done great research of handset. Very good knowledge. I have 1 question, can i have dual SIM with 4G capable Moto g 2nd gen? I would appreciate if you let me know where i can get this in London or UK please?

Hi Vijay,
Thanks for your comment.
Unfortunately, the Moto G 4G 2nd Generation isn’t available with dual-SIM capabilities in the UK (you might be able to get it through an import though the LTE bands may vary from those in the UK).
The reason behind this is that UK mobile operators are incredibly strong when it comes to promoting and selling handsets. To date, all UK operators have refused to sell a dual-SIM capable handset: this is because they want you to use their network for all of the services accessed on your phone (as opposed to using a different SIM card for calling abroad or accessing the internet). It’s also difficult for them to lock a dual-SIM handset.
Motorola is obviously hoping the UK mobile operators will sell the Moto G 4G 2nd Generation. Hence, it’s only provided as a single-SIM version in the UK. The Moto G 3G 2nd Generation is only available SIM-free and unlocked (hence, it’s provided as a dual-SIM handset in the UK).
Hope this helps to answer your question,
Ken

Maysaid:

I have 1 question: I would like to buy the 2nd Motorola 5″,dual simcard but my mobile still use the normal simcard. How can I transfer all my Data, and at the same time keep my mobile number when the simcard is of different size. How is the transfer process?

Great thanks for all the patience you are having in answering our queries!

Hi May,
Thanks for your comment. I presume you need to change your standard-size SIM card into a smaller Micro SIM? If so, take a look at my in-depth article on changing the size of your SIM card. If you need to transfer data that’s saved on your old phone to the Moto G, I recommend using Motorola’s Migrate application.
Ken

KDsaid:

Firstly this is the BEST and most informative site ever. Many thanks for all your info.
I am about to buy a Moto G 5″ (after reading your advice and reviews of course) but would like to know, if possible, what network is the cheapest and best to use. I use youtube loads, watch lots of films, fb etc. I also make a lot of mobile/other calls. Can you help?

Honestmarkovillasaid:

I bought the Moto G 2nd Gen a couple of weeks ago and so far so good .

I’m on a sim only rolling monthly contract with Virgin but eating up data quickly. I’m fairly new to Andriod phones but wondering how to best use the dual sim option on the Moto G – ie what advantages does this offer ?

I’m thinking could I use a pay as you go sim in the other slot to act as a back up when my data is getting low in my virgin contract ? Would this have to be with virgin ? Could I go with another provider ? Are there any pay as you go deals where I’m not tied into any contract and just use untill the credit is all used ? ?

Hi there,
Thanks for your comment and glad you’re enjoying the new Moto G! With the dual SIM capabilities, you’re able to use two mobile networks and two SIM cards simultaneously on the phone (many people have one for personal and one for work). You’re able to send and receive phone calls and text messages on both of the numbers. You can also choose a SIM card to use for 3G data (tap Settings > Dual SIM Settings to change the priority).
If you like, you could indeed use the second slot for a backup SIM card when your data runs low. You’ll want to choose a tariff where you’re able to use data only when it’s actually required (i.e. you won’t want to be paying £10/month simply to get backup data on a second SIM card). The secondary SIM card can come from any network – my recommendations would probably be either Three’s 321 tariff (1p/MB) or giffgaff’s Pay As You Go SIM card (20p/day for 20MB of internet).
Hope this helps!
Ken

David R Jonessaid:

Do you know why Vodafone has dropped the Moto G from its range? I wanted to upgrade and they advise it is no longer available. I note that Tescomobile has also reduced he Moto G monthly contract to £11 per month.

Hi David,
You’re right… the Moto G 4G is likely to be discontinued very soon. The reason for this is because it’s based on the Moto G (2013). A new 4G version is likely to be released soon with a larger 5-inch screen and an 8 megapixel camera. It’ll be based on the newer Moto G (2014) only with 4G connectivity added as an extra. The new version has already launched in Brazil and is likely to come to the UK in the next couple of months.
P.S. Thanks for the heads up about Tesco dropping their price to £11/month – I’ll be updating this in the article above.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Stevesaid:

I have the UK version Moto G 5″ on the Virgin network.
I have yet to receive any notification of an available upgrade to Android Lollipop, alough a colleague has upgraded hi Samsung. Is the upgrade available for the Moto G yet? My colleague claims that Lollipop has slowed his phone down – are there any known issues?

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comment. On Android, software upgrades are controlled by the manufacturer and also the network operator. This is why your colleague’s Samsung Galaxy handset may receive the Lollipop update before your Moto G. You can try following the instructions on this page to see whether your handset can find the Lollipop update (specifically, there’s manual update instruction at the end). If you still aren’t able to see an update then it’s possible that Virgin Mobile have delayed the update.
Ken

Beesaid:

I recently purchased a moto g in india and was hoping it would work here once unlocked. However that does not seem to be the case. I have tried it with a ‘3’ sim and also a Lebara sim but it will not pick up any network here.

Beereplied:

Hi Bee,
You only need to unlock your handset once so it should already be working on a UK network (I assume you’re trying the SIM card whilst in the UK?). I’ve double-checked on the Motorola India website: the version they sell should be compatible with all UK networks. If the problem persists, you’re probably best off contacting Motorola Support.
Ken

bazzamansaid:

wikipedia (and others) show the difference as being the frequencies and bands.

I’m UK based and have specifically been looking at a Moto G 4G to use internationally (including in the US). For the US I was particularly interested in 4G due to better 4G coverage (e.g. with AT&T) in some remote areas. Having seen what is on wikipedia, it suggests that a UK Moto G 4G won’t do the job.

Hi there,
Thanks for the heads up regarding the mistake – I’ve rectified the article to show that the XT1039 is the model we have in the UK.
Unfortunately, the UK Moto G 4G won’t give you 4G connectivity over in the US. For a list of a US mobile networks and the frequencies they use, I recommend this page from Mobile World Live. The UK version of the Moto G 4G will only work on LTE 800, LTE 900, LTE 1800, LTE 2100 and LTE 2600 networks (unfortunately, no US network has support for those frequencies). All is not lost: you’ll still have 2G and 3G on AT&T and T-Mobile but speeds are limited compared to 4G.
Ken

Richardreplied:

That Wikipedia article seems to be wrong: I corrected it using the info. printed on the box of my 1st generation Moto G 4G XT1039 GB.Retail but someone changed it back to the wrong information. According to the printing on the box, this phone covers only LTE Bands 03/07/20 meaning only 1800MHz, 2600MHz, 800MHz. These are the usual 4G LTE bands in UK.

When looking for a smartphone which will work in multiple countries, it is remarkably difficult to discover which phones will match which mobile networks. Manufacturers don’t seem to like publishing this basic information.

bazzamanreplied:

Too right. If you go to the Motorola US site and look at the US specs, it shows Moto G 4G LTE as supporting “4G LTE Bands 2, 4, 5, 17 (1900, 1700, 850, 700 MHz)”, but the UK Motorola site just says “4G” under the specs. Not helpful at all.

I’ve also done my head in trying to understand the different standards / technologies and what is supported where (both in what countries and by what carriers within countries). It’s a nightmare. Not helped at all by the US doing things differently from (most of) the rest of the world.

The US seems to have other particular oddities in that not all phones / carriers use SIM cards (e.g. Verizon). As I understand it, GSM uses SIM cards and CDMA doesn’t. I guess with CDMA the phones are “hardwired”, so you can’t (for example) quickly and easily switch to another phone (without contacting your provider).

Also the whole concept of mobile phone numbers in the US appears to be different (in that they don’t have them). You just get an ordinary local number for whatever area (e.g. Zip Code) that you select. I think the idea behind that is so that people calling you are charged local call rates (local call rates being a concept we did away with in the UK quite a while ago).

Alansaid:

The most useful page I have seen thank you.
I am a heavy business user of phones for calls / e-mails and currently have a Blackberry Curve touch screen. A friend of mine recommended the Moto G as it’s listed as a Which Best Buy.

My only concern about Smart Phones (I have not owned one yet) is battery life as I tend to find I need to replace them after 6-9 months and I have not seen a Smart Phone where that is easily done – any ideas?

Hi Alan,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, all smartphones today are pretty much the same (they use the same lithium-ion technology for the battery inside). I would say however, that with a bit of TLC, the battery should last 2 or 3 years. Key to this is *not* allowing your battery to fully run down in between charges (you should top up the charge as frequently as possible). I’ve personally had my smartphone for more than 2 years and it still holds more than a complete day of power! There’s more info here at Battery University.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Garysaid:

I use Virgin on my Motorola Moto G in the UK. I`ve landed in India and wish to be available to receive texts but it hasn`t roamed/connected to any local networks therefore I cannot receive any sms` from `home`.
How can I rectify this please ?

Hi Gary,
Thanks for your comment. The first thing probably worth trying is to set your phone to search for networks automatically (to do this, open the Settings app followed by More > Mobile networks). There should be a option to select networks automatically. Your phone will then try to find a network you’re able to roam on in India (i.e. one of Virgin’s roaming partner networks in India). If you still aren’t able to get any coverage, you might need to call Virgin Customer Services to get roaming enabled on your account (to call from abroad, the phone number is +447953 967 967).
Hope this helps!
Ken

PhilVsaid:

First of all thank you for your really useful Moto G forum and tips. I have just purchased a sim free 5 inch version plus a fast 32 Gb sd card and plan to use gifgaf. Could you tell me if it possible to easily transfer photos and apps etc. from my Nexus 7, since Moto Gs Migrate app does not seem compatible with the Nexus.

Hi Phil,
Thanks for your comment and glad the article was of help! The easiest way of transferring photos to your new Moto G is to first copy them from your old device onto a PC or laptop. Once there, you can copy it to the new phone or you can move the files directly to the SD card (if your laptop has a SD card slot). With regards to applications, I’m afraid there isn’t an easy way to move all of your apps at once. You can go into the Google Play Store: tap the hamburger menu item and go to ‘My apps’. On the ‘All’ tab, you should see all of the apps you’ve downloaded on the Nexus 7 (you can go through them one-by-one choosing the apps you’d like to keep).
Ken

Veronicasaid:

Nice article about motorola moto g 4 and 5. Mu question is: is there any seller in the Uk offering the moto g dual sim 5 inches in white? I have seen it in Spain in Amazon but I can not find it anywhere else and I am a bir scared about the warranty and my rights in the Uk after buying the phone in Spain. Thanks

Hi Veronica,
Motorola are selling the Moto G 5-inch in white via their official website – it’s £149.99 (that’s £20 more than the black version at Argos). Aside from their official website, I’m not currently aware of any other retailer currently selling the white version of the handset.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Chris Leemansaid:

Hi Chris,
Officially, the Moto G 5-Inch will only support Micro SD cards up to 32GB. There are some people online (e.g. see Reddit and XDA Developers) who have managed to use larger micro SDXC cards on the Moto G 4G. Hence, you might be able to do the same on the Moto G 5-inch (though it’s not guaranteed given the specifications say the phone only accepts up to 32GB cards).
Hope this helps,
Ken

Dorotheasaid:

Great website. It’s so informative. Keep up the great work.
I see that the Motorola India website lists a Moto G 2nd Gen 5 inch phone with 16gb internal storage but it appears to be the same spec as the 8gb model available in the UK. Would that phone work in the UK since Motorola don’t appear to be releasing a 16gb version for the UK market? I know that the phone’s memory is now expandable up to 32GB with a SD card but I wouldn’t say no to internal storage of 16gb instead of 8gb.

Hi Dorothea,
Thanks for your comment! From the looks of things, I believe Motorola are also selling the XT1068 version of the Moto G in India (only with 16GB of storage rather than 8GB). The supported bands are the same as in the UK so the phone should work here without any problems 🙂
Hope this helps,
Ken

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comment. Motorola no longer includes a charger for environmental reasons (most people already have a micro-USB charger from their old handset). You can use pretty much any micro-USB charger on the Moto G 5-inch though Motorola recommends a output of between 500mA and 1.5A (a higher output will charge your phone faster). You can pick up a micro-USB charger for a couple of quid at Amazon.
To answer your question a little more specifically: the Kindle also uses a micro-USB charger so it’s possible to re-use this on the Moto G 5-inch. Unfortunately, the iPad is another matter (Apple uses a proprietary charging cable known as Lightning… this isn’t compatible with the Moto G 5-inch).
Hope this helps,
Ken

john applebysaid:

Hi ,i am seriously thinking of buying the MotoG with 4G to take to my wife who lives in Gambia ,West Africa at xmas.
Will this phone function ok in this region,they obviously have their own pay as you go suppliers over there in Africell,Qcell and Gamcell,will it still work ok sim free when she buys her credit as this phone is unlocked??

Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. According to Mobile World Live, the networks in Gambia use the same frequencies as we do in the UK (though they only operate on 2G and 3G). Given this information, an unlocked Moto G should work in The Gambia. You could either use the Moto G 4G or the Moto G 5-inch if 4G isn’t actually required.
Ken

Lydiakisaid:

Hi Ken. I just bought a motorola moto g 5 on you recommendation. I want to go with giffgaff. My problem is that, at the minute, I don’t want to use both sims and pay for two lines because I don’t need them.

Can I just put in one of the sims instead of both? I have ordered two giffgaff sims from the company. Can I pop both of them into the advice but just use one? Or will that ruin the device?

I’m terrified. Had the phone for a week and am scared to get it set up. Help!
Also, can I add another sim at another point?

Anything you could tell me is valuable. I cannot contact anyone for help at either company (motorola or giffgaff), and need some help. Cheers, Lydiaki.

Hi Lydiaki,
Thanks for your comment. The Moto G 5-inch is a dual-SIM handset but there’s no obligation to actually use both of the SIM card slots! You’re more than welcome to only use of the slots (in this case, it would simply function as a normal single-SIM handset). Finally, for queries regarding giffgaff, your best bet is the online giffgaff community.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Alansaid:

Hi,
I am about to buy my 1st smartphone but don’t expect to be a major user of data – I would prefer to turn the data ‘off’ when not required. I expect my main app to be navigation & mapping. Offline use would include photography and listening to mp3s
I believe the Moto G would be a good buy (with added SD card). Can ‘data’ be turned off? How does it rate for cameras / mp3 player & satnav? What satnav app would you suggest?

Hi Alan,
Thanks for your comment. The Moto G certainly sounds like a good choice for you – particularly the 5-inch version (the larger screen should be ideal for navigation & GPS). To answer your questions in order:
1) It is possible to turn off data entirely on the Moto G. Go to the Settings app followed by ‘More’ and ‘Mobile networks’. Uncheck the box for mobile data to turn it off (you’ll still be able to use wi-fi at home). For occasional data usage, I would recommend having a look at giffgaff (it’s 20p/day for 20MB of internet, only on the days where you actually use it).
2) The Moto G 5-inch has an 8 megapixel camera and there’s a built-in app for playing MP3s and for doing sat nav. I would probably recommend using Google Maps: it’s built in to the Moto G and won’t cost you a penny. There’s also a bunch of paid alternatives (e.g. TomTom for £28) but I’d certainly give Google Maps a go first!
Hope this helps,
Ken

Alanreplied:

Ken,
Many thanks for the quick & most useful reply.
It certainly looks like the Moto G will be an excellent choice. I have been looking at satnav apps today & see that HERE from Nokia is now available for Android – would this be as good as Google Maps? Also, are there any FM radio apps suitable for the Moto G?

Hi Alan,
HERE Maps is also a good alternative – they use data from Navteq so it should be pretty reliable. I personally use Google Maps and find it to be fine but it’s certainly worth experimenting to find your own favourite!
With regards to FM radio, the Moto G 5-inch supports this out of the box via the Motorola FM Radio app.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Alanreplied:

Ken,
I took the plunge and bought a Moto G (2nd Gen) from Tesco, making use of their current Clubcard offer to get an even better value phone. The phone has been absolutely simple to set up and use so far. I am using a giffgaff airtime payg SIM and have turned ‘data’ off, using wifi at home to set up everything. (The phone did manage to use about 6MB of data before I got to the data ‘off’ switch!) I inserted a 32GB SD card and the phone will readily store files such as pictures & mp3 files there. Also, it will transfer some apps onto the SD card. I had a look at maps & navigation and have installed HERE (http://here.com/beta/android/?lang=en-US) which gives both maps and voice directions offline (Google Maps only seems to provide maps offline). So far, so good.
Thanks,
Alan

Nick fostersaid:

Hi ken after your brilliant and informative review on the Motorola moto g 2nd edition I bought one. Its fantastic ! I paid £149.00 from Argos and indeed it is dual sim so my personal sim and work sim fit in there no need carry two phones now which was a bit of a pain. I put in my 16gb memory card in from my aging Galaxy note and bingo! And bonus we get the new android update to LOllipop when it roles out soon. Thanks again ken your the Man !

Kavsaid:

Wow, great breakdown on all of the available options. I like the look of this phone but can’t decide whether to go with either the 5″ or 4G models. Firstly, I’m already a Tesco mobile user so their 5″ (£149) and 4G (£125) are the prices I’m considering. Thing is, I’m also a BT broadband customer, meaning I get to use all of their BT Hotspots (of which there are many) for free, slightly negating the use of 4G. Do you think it’s worth the difference in price to get the 8mp camera but with no 4G, given my situation? Thanks

Hi Kav,
Thanks for your comment. It’s very much a matter of personal preference – for me I’d definitely take the larger 5″ screen, the 8 megapixel camera and dual-SIM capabilities (I’m personally not so bothered about 4G connectivity for the reasons listed here). Your own preferences may differ from mine, however. For a start, there’s a £24 saving when choosing the older 4G model and the 4.5″ screen will also be a little more portable. Do also check whether 4G coverage is available in your area and whether 4G connectivity is included on your contract (it’s possible your contract could still be 3G-only). If you do choose to go with the Moto G 5-inch, it’s worth considering buying from Amazon (£142.67 with free P&P which is a good deal less than buying from Tesco).
Hope this helps,
Ken

John Wsaid:

I am a virtual novice when it comes to mobile phones and networks. I have had a Moto KRZR for some time with a £5 a month contract with Virgin (I am a Virgin Broadband customer). I now wish to purchase a new 5″ Moto and as Virgin do not supply them am looking to purchase one from Amazon as mentioned in previous threads.
Will I be able to use my existing Sim card in the new phone.
What steps will I need to take to use the new phone on Virgin and use my existing mobile number.
I will also want to purchase a 32 GB SD Card. In earlier Moto threads you have shown links to SD Cards. Will any one of them suffice or could you specify to ensure that I choose the one most suitable.
I came across you website for the first time this morning and am finding it most helpful – Thanks

SIM Card: The Motorola KRZR K1 uses standard-size SIM cards so you’ll need to change your SIM card into a newer format Micro SIM (this is a slightly smaller version of your current SIM card and is the type of SIM card required by the Moto G). You can either ask Virgin for a replacement micro SIM by calling 789 (there could be a small charge of up to £5) or you can grab a Micro SIM card cutter along with your Amazon order (approx £2). There’s no need to take any further action in order to keep your number (the number is linked to your SIM card).

SD Card: Pretty much any micro SD card will work on the Moto G 5-inch (this is in contrast to the older Moto G 4G which only supports SD Cards up to Class 6). My recommendation is to get a fairly fast card as this will give you optimal performance (look for ‘Class 10’ in the product description). The most popular SD Card amongst Moto G users currently seems to be the 32GB Samsung Class 10 memory card (£11.63).

John Wreplied:

Thanks Ken, much appreciated.
I have followed your advice in purchasing all the items you specified from Amazon. Micro Sim cutter arrived today, so Sim card now in the new phone. To my surprise when I switched on the phone it shows as locked.
As the phone I purchased from Electric & Photo via Amazon was shown as Sim free I assumed that I would be able to use it as soon as I inserted my Virgin Sim card on the Virgin network where I have a contract – have I assumed wrongly ?
Reading some of the articles which deal with unlocked phones indicate there are a number of issues including warranties etc, when trying to resolve the problem.
Can you advise of the best way to get my phone working safely without me having to spend to much more.
John W

John Wreplied:

In my earlier reply I did not mention that although the locked symbol appears on the screen, it also shows ‘virgin’ lower down on the screen. Could this mean that it is has access to the virgin network but is locked in some other way.

Hi John,
Thanks for the comment. The good news is the phone you bought is working with the Virgin SIM card (you can tell this because it’s showing Virgin on the lock screen). Could I ask what your lock icon looks like? If it looks a little bit like this, you’re currently on the lock screen of your phone. To start using your handset, place your finger over the lock icon and drag it in any direction.
Hope this helps,
Ken

John Wreplied:

Johnsaid:

Thanks Ken – useful article. I am interested in the 2nd Gen Moto G with 16 Gb of storage for my son who likes his games. He is already on a contract so I am looking to buy one Sim free – but I cannot find them. Do you know who is selling them?
Thanks
John

Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, the second generation Moto G is only available with 8GB of storage in the UK. It’s not necessarily a bad thing however… you can buy the 8GB version for £139.95 and add a 32GB micro-SD card for around £10. Hence, you get 40GB of storage for only £150. The second-generation Moto G allows you to store applications on the micro-SD card so it shouldn’t be a problem only having 8GB of internal storage.
Hope this helps!
Ken

Hi Mike,
A dual-SIM phone allows you to use two networks & two phone numbers simultaneously on the phone. You’ll be able to send and receive calls and text messages on both of the phone numbers. You can also choose either of the SIM cards for getting online with 3G internet. To give a few examples of how it could be used:
1) You could have a personal SIM card and a work SIM card in the same mobile phone (there’s no need to carry round two separate devices).
2) You could have a secondary SIM card in the phone for cheaper international calling. Alternatively, the second SIM card could be used to register for other offers e.g. for 2-for-1 cinema tickets on EE Wednesdays.
3) When travelling abroad, you could buy a local SIM card in your country of travel. You can keep your normal UK SIM card as the secondary SIM inside the handset (so you can still receive incoming calls & text messages on the normal phone number).
So there are lots of ways of using a dual-SIM handset. Of course, it’s also possible to use the handset with only one SIM card inside the device.
Hope this helps!
Ken

Marksaid:

Hi Mark,
As of yet, there aren’t any UK networks selling the 5-inch second-generation Moto G handset. One key reason is because the new Moto G is dual-SIM capable (the networks aren’t too happy about this). With regards to the Moto G 4G, Virgin Media doesn’t currently offer 4G internet on their mobile network. Hence, I’m not really sure if it makes sense for them to offer the Moto G 4G on Pay As You Go. Whilst I can’t speak definitively on Virgin’s future launch plans, it sounds as if buying the handsets SIM-free might be the only option for these phones in the foreseeable future.
Ken

Robreplied:

Bazzasaid:

Do you know when Motorola will be releasing their 2nd generation Moto G with 4G (LTE) capability? The current Moto G 2nd generation only has 3G which is really disappointing when 4G networks roll out in UK is gathering pace.

Hi Bazza,
Unfortunately there’s no indication at present if and when we’ll see a second generation of the Moto G 4G. For a bit of background, the first generation Moto G 3G came out in November 2013 – this was followed by the second generation handset in September 2014. As the first generation Moto G 4G was only released in May 2014, one could hazard a guess we might need to wait until the second quarter of next year. That said, it’s all speculation and relies on an assumption that the Moto G 4G follows an annual release schedule. For the time being, however, it looks as if there needs to be a compromise between either a larger screen or faster 4G connectivity.
Ken

Danielsaid:

Hi Daniel,
I believe the second-generation Moto G has 5.01GB of free space on the internal memory (this is according to Expert Reviews). That said, the Motorola website says only 4GB is made available for your applications & files. Hence, it’s probably worthwhile buying a micro-SD card (seeing as it only costs around £10 for a 32GB card).
Hope this helps!
Ken

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your comment. I’m afraid I don’t have any information in regards to the UK mobile networks selling the 2014 Moto G 5-inch. That said, I strongly suspect they won’t be stocking the new handset directly: the main reason being the new 2014 Moto G 5-inch is dual-SIM capable. For obvious reasons, the UK mobile networks have never sold a dual-SIM handset directly through their own channels (for them, it would lead to substantial lost revenues). Hence, the chances are you’ll need to buy the handset SIM-free & unlocked. The Moto G 4G is likely to continue as the option offered by UK mobile networks (doubly so as the UK networks are now trying to upgrade their customers to 4G).
Ken

Scottsaid:

I’m still confused about the available internal storage on the new Moto G 5-inch (2014). There is a 8GB version available from Amazon, but I’ve read elsewhere that Motorola was making a 16GB version too. That said, all I see for sale so far is an 8GB version. So what’s the true story; is there (or will there be) a 16GB version and, if so, where can I buy one? (I’m fully aware of the ability to add 32GB microSD storage, but it’s internal storage I’m asking about.)

Hi Scott,
I have a sneaking suspicion that only the 8GB model will actually be released. Several reasons… Firstly, the Motorola website only references an 8GB version on the Moto G product page. Hence, I’m guessing they probably won’t add a 16GB version in the immediate future. Secondly, it’s been fairly behaviour in the past for manufacturers to promise a larger model of their phone. In reality, that model may never actually see a real-world release (e.g. Samsung has often promised 32GB and 64GB versions of their Galaxy S smartphones). Lacking any further info from Motorola, I think it’s safe to assume we’re unlikely to see the 16GB version soon.
Ken

andysaid:

Hi Andy,
Thanks for your comment. At present, only the 8GB first-generation Moto G 3G is available on Vodafone. Vodafone aren’t yet offering either the Moto G 5-inch or the Moto G 4G. If you’d like to use one of these handsets on Vodafone, your best bet would be to buy it SIM-free. You would then be able to order a free Vodafone micro-SIM to go with the Moto G.
Hope this helps!
Ken

james fergusonsaid:

With the sd cards, can you store apps on them? My current phone won’t do this and all the fixed internal memory is now taken up with bog standard stuff and i cannot add new apps. It is even running out of room for google play service updates!

Hi James,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve done a bit of investigation and it looks as if the Moto G 2nd-generation does support moving apps to a SD card (though the app will need to be enabled for this feature). See this help article on the Motorola website for more information.
Hope this helps,
Ken

Jamesreplied:

That’s brilliant news / reply! Thank you so much for taking the trouble. Reading the Motorola link it seems they / Android are aware of the ever increasing size of many apps and allowing 4.4 and newer apps to be stored, or at least be able to be stored, on a SD card is good news for all consumers. About time! I know there are issues over licensing and transfer of info between devices, but for 99% of customers this can only be good for them and make them feel good about the ability to be able to do this!

Hey Nick,
Thanks for your comment! There’s a list of online stores selling the new Moto G earlier in this article – click here to see a full list. The best value deal is currently at Amazon.co.uk (£144.99 SIM-free including free delivery).
In response to your second question, the new Moto G will only be available in an 8GB version. There’s now a micro-SD card expansion slot for storage (for around £10 you can add 32GB of additional storage). This will give you 40GB of storage in total: substantially more than on the 16GB Moto G from last year.
Hope this helps!
Ken

Nickreplied:

Thanks Ken! Sorry, I meant high street stores, not online. Oddly (and extremely annoyingly) my current phone has just bricked and I was hoping to pick one up in time for the weekend! However I’ve not been able to find anywhere in my research.

I had read that they will be releasing a 16gb version as well, but you’re right in that there’s no mention on the motorola website. Still with the sd card slot, as you say, 40gb of space should be more than enough!

petereplied:

@Nick I think the new Moto G is only available online at present (I couldn’t find it at any major electronics retailers and it’s not yet been released by any Pay As You Go networks). Hopefully this will change over the coming few weeks (though I’m not totally sure how many networks will choose to stock the phone seeing as it’s dual-SIM). For the moment, your best bet would be to probably find an online retailer with next-day delivery (e.g. Amazon is currently dispatching immediately with next-day delivery).

petereplied:

TONY SCOTTsaid:

Just to let you know after reading your article on the motog4 I have now decided to lease one via Tesco over 24mths.
I had a problem getting information re ability to unlock the phone and use another provider or as in my case I spend a few months in Florida each year and wish to buy a AT&T sim card when I am there and use my sons broadband etc.

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comment 🙂 You can see some information on unlocking your Moto G via this link. To summarise, it costs £20 to unlock your Moto G 4G from Tesco Pay Monthly. You can make the request by calling Tesco Mobile Customer Services on 0345 300 6660. In case it’s of interest, you can also read my article on using your phone in the USA 🙂
Hope this helps!
Ken

Frances Millersaid:

Hi Frances,
Yep! The Moto G is just a normal smartphone – you can use it to browse on 3G (there’s no need to have wi-fi connectivity). If you wanted, you could also disable mobile data entirely (then you could just use the phone for calling & texting).
Ken

Nicksaid:

Two things of note here
Firstly the Moto G is unlockable by code so your £100 PAYG handsets can be unlocked for a couple of quid from codes on ebay – trawling the mobile forums eg modaco will find you reliable sellers.

Secondly the Moto G 4G is due 30th Jun with a preorder price of £159 SIM-free at most retailers. Although this is the 8GB model, the 4G edition is fitted with a MicroSD slot and so has expandable memory (as well as 4G – Duh)

I would consider this a much better value purchase than a SIM-free 16GB-fixed 3G phone at a very similar price.

smarty69said:

I brought my 16B MotoG from phones 4U before Christmas for £129.99 got a free extra white back cover & that included a £10 O2 top up!
I’ve Tested various Androids & have had a trusty iPhone for 4 years.. & tbh this one really is amazing! Only slight let down is camera but its still a great phone for a crazy cheap price 🙂

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About Ken

My passion is helping people to get the most out of their mobile phone. I've been blogging at Ken's Tech Tips since 2005.

Aside from writing about mobile technology, I have an interest in software development, digital marketing and physics. Outside of the blog, I work with numerous technology companies helping them to market their product to consumers. Find out more.